Who We Are

The people who came together to form the core Citizen’s Poplar Point Working Group in the fall of 2021 are volunteers loosely associated with the Anacostia Coordinating Council, the Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative, the DC Environmental Network, and several other nonprofit organizations.

Our Purpose

The Citizens’ Poplar Point Working Group came together to solicit input from individuals interested in the future of the Poplar Point site, particularly those from neighborhoods near the site, and then prepare a report that we hope will substantially inform the eventual DC Government/National Park Service land planning process. We intend to particularly offer a plan for the 70-plus acres required by federal law to be in perpetual “park use”, combining protection of the wetlands, enhancement of the tree canopy, and natural wildlife-friendly areas with active recreational, cultural, and social park uses.

The Working Group is co-led by Brenda Richardson and Doug Siglin, both of whom have been involved in various ways with the Poplar Point site dating back to the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative Framework Plan. The Working Group has no formal affiliation with the DC or federal government (some partner groups do receive program grants for other purposes), or affiliation with or financial support from any company or organization with a development interest in the site. Its sole purpose is to gather and illuminate ideas for the site that are in the public interest without DC Government officials or profit-making companies.