UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
1100 OHIO DRIVE, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  20242

                                  81-2844
                      FILED NOV. 23, 1981

                                     
Mr. Mitch Snyder
Community for Creative Non-Violence
1345 Euclid Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.    20009

Dear Mr. Snyder:

We appreciated the opportunity to meet with you on November 2, 1981 to discuss the proposal outlined in the attachment to your permit application no. 81-891, dated September 29, 1981.

We understand that you wish to provide some meals as well as shelter in the form of tents and sleeping bags for the homeless in an encampment in Lafayette Park during the winter months.

As we explained at the meeting, Park Service regulations, while allowing some form of symbolic camping, do not permit camping primarily for living accomodations in undesignated areas such as Lafayette Park. Your proposal as presented would utilize tents and other equipment primarily for living accomodations and is therefore not permissable under the regulations.  Our suggestion that you erect a number of tents for symbolic purposes while providing shelter for people in designated Park Service camping areas was not acceptable to you.

As we indicated at the meeting we are legally bound to apply the same regulations to each and every group applying for a demonstration permit.  We regret that a cooperative resolution of the problems presented by your proposal could not be achieved.

Sincerely,

JACK FISH

Regional Director, National Capital Region