The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing for the next chapter of the Claude Moore farm area of Turkey Run Park. On April 25, the NPS will launch a public planning effort and invite the community, former farm volunteers and any interested parties to share their vision for the park’s future.

“We want to hear everyone’s ideas about how they would like to enjoy the park,” Superintendent Charles Cuvelier said. “Should we offer farm activities, return the area to its natural state, provide connections to neighboring trail systems or something else altogether?”

To kick-off a public comment period, the NPS will host an open house from 6-8 p.m. on April 25 in classroom 7 at the Madison Community Center located at 3829 N Stafford St. Arlington. People will also have the opportunity to provide feedback online or via mail beginning April 25.

After gathering information and hearing from the public, the NPS will develop a range of concepts for future use and enjoyment of the Claude Moore farm area of Turkey Run Park. The NPS will share these concepts with the public and provide further opportunities for feedback.

“I look forward to hearing people’s vision for the future of the Claude Moore farm area of Turkey Run Park,” Superintendent Cuvelier said. “The public planning effort begins with a blank slate of possibilities and all ideas are welcome."

The outcome of the effort will be a plan that contains a range of refined concepts that could then be considered as options for the NPS to implement. It's likely that actions would require additional environmental and historic preservation compliance prior to implementation. The NPS will not pursue any kind of commercial development.

The agreement between the NPS and the Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm, which provided day-to-day Colonial themed programming in this area of the park for many years, expired Dec. 21, 2018. The Friends organization is continuing to remove remaining personal property from the park. While the group’s operations and programs in the park concluded in December, the majority of the park has remained open for visitor use. Currently, there are no visitor services or facilities available.

The 69-acre Claude Moore farm area is within Turkey Run Park, one of many sites managed by the National Park Service along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. For more information or to sign up to receive information about the planning effort, visit go.nps.gov/ClaudeMooreFuture.