Thanks to the sustained, strategic advocacy of the National Trust and our allies to protect the historic Tidal Basin, the National Park Service—a close partner to the National Trust across the country—will launch a Master Planning process for the Tidal Basin in early 2024.

The overall project will include visioning, analysis, and design concepts to rehabilitate this treasured cultural landscape in the heart of Washington D.C. The National Park Service has indicated that the Master Plan will address circulation and transportation; connectivity; conservation; climate change and sea level rise resilience; infrastructure; memorials; security; visitor experience; and seawall solutions. Many of these overlapping themes are adapted from the National Trust and the Trust for the National Mall’s Tidal Basin Ideas Lab, launched in 2019.

The National Trust, with our partners at the Trust for the National Mall, will continue to engage stakeholders, Tidal Basin Ideas Lab design firms, and our membership throughout the Master Planning process. The results of the Ideas Lab, inclusion on the 11 Most Endangered List in 2019, coupled with sustained advocacy efforts by the National Trust and our partners, underscore the long-term value of collective collaboration in achieving solutions for endangered places.

Update March 2024: As the Tidal Basin welcomed visitors and tourists to view the Cherry Trees, the flooding was again dramatic. Travelers enjoyed the beautiful blooms and said a fond farewell to Stumpy, a tiny tree that symbolized, for many, survival in the face of sea level rise. Stumpy is one of over 100 Japanese flowering cherry trees along the Tidal Basin that will be removed in preparation for initial construction activity to implement the Master Plan. A cutting of Stumpy will be used to create genetic offspring when 274 new cherry trees are planted.