Answers On Claude Moore Farm Demanded By House Members

MCLEAN, VA—Three House members have sent a letter to the National Park Service for more insight into the potential closing of Claude Moore Colonial Farm when the cooperative agreement expires on Dec. 21.

Rob Bishop, chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, Bruce Westerman, chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and Rep. Barbara Comstock, who represents McLean, sent the letter on May 31.

"Given this unique foundation and the nearly four decades of successful operations at Claude Moore Colonial Farm under the current agreement, we seek clarification on the suitability and necessity of applying all uniform standards found in modern NPS cooperative agreements on FCMCF.

In particular, the House members are asking for:

• Documents explaining how FCMCF is unique in its operation of a national park site compared to other partner organizations entering into cooperative agreements with NPS.
• A list showing all mandatory reviews of NPS partner organizations, including audits, inspections, periodic meetings, evaluations and the frequency of such reviews.
• Documents to show all reviews of Claude Moore Colonial Farm from Jan. 1, 2008 through May 24, 2018.
• Documents explaining the detrimental impact to NPS when a partner organization uses the sale of donated books on topics potentially unrelated to the historical era portrayed at the national park.
• Documents showing the current process for NPS approving Claude Moore Colonial Farm's merchandise, brochures, printed materials and social media posts prior to sale or publication.
• Documents to show NPS's formal plans for the Claude Moore Colonial Farm site should the cooperative agreement expire on Dec. 21.
• Documents to explain how the proposed land exchange between NPS and the Fairfax County Park Authority at Langley Fork Park and Langley Oaks Park may consider, involve or impact the Claude Moore Colonial Farm site after Dec. 21.

The members requested a briefing and site visit by June 8 and the requested information by June 14.

NPS spokesperson Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles told Patch in an email, "The National Park Service appreciates the committee’s interest in this matter and we look forward to providing a detailed response."

The park is unique in the NPS system because a private group operates the living history programs at the farm and must sign a cooperative agreement with NPS, which owns the land. The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm (FCMCF), which operates the programs at the farm, chose not to accept the agreement offered by NPS. On March 30, NPS notified the group that the cooperative agreement would end on Dec. 21.

NPS has published an information page explaining details of the cooperative agreement it had proposed to FCMCF. The agreement uses standardized terms that apply to thousands of NPS partners with some flexibility. Of note is an required annual work plan, which details roles and responsibilities and expectations for public programming, services, and maintenance projects for the year.

FCMCF managing director Anna Eberly previously told Patch the group's budget could not handle complying with the proposed agreement. Six employees and approximately 400 volunteers manage the programming at the farm.

NPS states on its website the park will close in December as it normally does for the winter but has potential to reopen. Options could include continuing the living history programs with existing volunteers or getting a new partner to provide programming. "Rest assured that we have absolutely no intention to sell or commercially develop the park land that is known as Claude Moore Colonial Farm," states NPS.

NPS opened the farm in 1972 and entered into an agreement to allow Friends of Claude Moore Farm to provide living history programs in 1981. The original agreement expired in 2006 and has been extended several times. NPS offered a potential lease, a potential concessions contract, and a proposed 10-year cooperative agreement.

FCMCF, which held a "Save the Farm" rally on May 31, has asked for a similar agreement that it received in the past. A petition to save the farm has received over 5,000 signatures.

MORE COVERAGE

• Claude Moore Farm Could Close Without NPS Agreement
• Claude Moore Colonial Farm To Hold Save the Farm Rally

Image via NPS