Invitation to Public Comment: Pentagon Memorial Fund Visitor Education Center

4/2/2024

SUBJECT:  Public Comment Period for National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 for the Operation and Construction of the Pentagon Memorial Fund Visitor Education Center on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia

On 25 March 2023, Army National Military Cemeteries (ANMC), together with the Pentagon Memorial Fund (PMF), initiated the consultation process with the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 16 U.S.C. § 470f, and its implementing regulations, 36 C.F.R. Part 800. ANMC notified the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) of the proposed undertaking to construct and operate a Visitor’s Education Center (VEC) to support the existing 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.  In the following year, ANMC and PMF held a meeting for the public and consulting parties and facilitated several comment periods.  This allowed the public and interested parties to review and comment on the agency’s finding of effect on historic properties, identification of the area of potential effects, and identification of consulting parties.

With this notice, ANMC informs consulting parties and the public that, in accordance with Section 106 of the NHPA, the agency has applied the criteria of adverse effects (36 CFR § 800.5[a][1]) to the undertaking and finds that the proposed project would have no adverse effects to the three historic properties located in the undertaking’s Area of Potential Effects (APE).  The public can view the Assessment of Effects (AOE) documentation submitted to the DHR on both the ANC and PMF websites: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/About/Policies-and-Public-Notices/Public-Notices (ANC) and https://www.pentagonmemorial.org/public-notices/ (PMF).  The documentation includes all consultation records to date, and an assessment of potential effects to the three historic properties in the APE. In addition, the public can view correspondence between the DHR and ANMC, consulting party meeting records, and reviews and approvals from the the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).  

With this notice, ANMC also initiates a 30-day comment period on the AOE.  ANMC welcomes all interested parties and members of the public to share their input on the agency’s Section 106 process findings.  Comments are due no later than May 2, 2024. Please send your comments by mail or email to:

Sara McLaughlin
Johnson, Mirmiran and Thompson
1600 Market St Ste 520,  
Philadelphia, PA 19103
smclaughlin@jmt.com

Thank you for your interest in Arlington National Cemetery.