While the National Park Service wants lots of visitors to enjoy the national parks, there is a certain type of visitor the park service is trying to prevent from entering its parks.
The National Park Service has announced it is partnering with the D.C. Department of Health to control the rodent populations in the District's national parks.
Under the agreement, DOH staff will inspect and treat national parks throughout the city.
The NPS and DOH partnership will increase the frequency with which rats are treated in parks and improve the citywide coordination to control the rodent population.
Residents can also do their part to control rats by doing the following:
- Placing all trash and food waste in trash cans
- Reporting sightings of rats or possible rat burrows to 311
- Cleaning up after pets and making sure waste is disposed of in a trash can
- Keeping your dog on a leash
Residents can report rats in any national park and request treatment by calling the Citywide Call Center at 311.
