A report based on internal documents reveals that officials within the National Park Service raised repeated legal, environmental, and ethical concerns about a proposed plan to lease nearly 40 acres of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.to a private operator.

The proposed development includes areas such as the Rock Creek Tennis Center and has drawn scrutiny for potentially conflicting with federal regulations designed to preserve public access to protected parkland.

According to the internal records, Park Service employees warned that the plan could violate established federal rules governing the use of public lands, particularly those intended to ensure long-term conservation and recreational access.

One of the most significant environmental concerns involved potential harm to the habitat of the Hays Spring amphipod, a federally protected crustacean species found in the area.

Officials also raised questions about whether the scale of the proposed lease exceeded even what the prospective private operator had initially requested.

The documents further show that agency personnel coordinated with Washington businessman Mark Ein, who is associated with the DC Open tennis tournament, prior to the formal bidding process.This raised additional ethical concerns regarding transparency and fairness in the leasing process.

Senior officials within the Park Service reportedly cautioned that the proposal could be legally vulnerable and might be challenged in court, particularly given doubts about whether it adequately protected visitor experience and environmental safeguards.Despite these internal objections, leadership within the administration approved a larger project footprint.As of the time of reporting, no final lease agreement had been announced, even though an initial deadline of March 1 had passed months earlier.

The situation highlights ongoing tensions between development interests and conservation responsibilities in federally managed urban parklands in Washington, D.C.