National Park Service: Trump's Triumphal Arch will cause irreversible adverse effects on 37 historic sites

Published Aug 3, 04:03 PM UTC

The National Park Service has released a formal assessment concluding that President Trump's proposed 250-foot 'triumphal arch' in Washington, D.C. will cause irreversible adverse effects on 37 significant historic sites, particularly the Memorial Avenue Corridor between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The assessment, required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, details how the arch will obstruct views from landmarks including Arlington House and the Kennedy Gravesite. Virginia's State Historic Preservation Officer stated the adverse effects are 'intentional and inherent' in the design. While alternative designs and locations were proposed, the project is expected to proceed as planned. The assessment comes as the Trump administration pushes to overhaul historic site review rules, potentially eliminating consideration of visual, atmospheric, or audible impacts and removing expert and public input from approval processes.