A nonprofit has sued the federal government over its plans to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool blue

President Trump has recently unveiled plans to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in “American flag blue.” This decision has led to a nonprofit, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF), filing a lawsuit against the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. TCLF claims that the Trump administration did not follow the necessary federal review process required by the National Historic Preservation Act for the project.

The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, aims to halt the resurfacing and repainting of the pool’s basin. The contract for this project, worth $6.9 million, was awarded through a no-bid contract to a company named Atlantic Industrial Coatings. This company, which has no prior federal contracts, has been confirmed to be involved in the project but directed all inquiries to the Department of the Interior.

The final cost of the project is estimated to be over $13 million, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The Department of the Interior has not confirmed this figure but justified the cost as necessary for completing the project before the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Interior Department emphasized that the renovations, including a blue pool basin and a new filtration system, are aimed at enhancing the site’s appeal for visitors.

Critics such as TCLF argue that the color choice and overall vision for the reflecting pool do not align with the historical and solemn significance of the National Mall. They believe that a blue-tinted basin is more suited to a theme park rather than a revered national monument. Charles A. Birnbaum, TCLF’s president and CEO, expressed these sentiments in a statement to NPR, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the historical aesthetic integrity of the National Mall.

The National Park Service routinely cleans and maintains the reflecting pool, with the last major renovation occurring during the Obama administration at a cost of $34 million. TCLF’s founder, Birnbaum, previously worked with the National Park Service as the coordinator of the Historic Landscape Initiative before establishing TCLF in 2008.

In addition to this lawsuit, TCLF is also part of a group suing President Trump and the Kennedy Center board over planned renovations at the Kennedy Center. These legal battles highlight ongoing tensions between heritage preservation advocates and government agencies over the management and conservation of national landmarks and cultural sites.