Interior Department Is Paying $3.4M to Repair the National Mall’s Turf

The Interior Department is paying a Maryland landscaping company almost $3.4 million to repair turf damaged during the celebrations on the National Mall for America’s 250th birthday.

While the contract, described as for “turf repair from A250,” doesn’t specify exactly where the work will happen, there is a large patch of damaged grass between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial. It’s the site where President Donald Trump built a stage for his Fourth of July celebration. He later blamed vandals for damaging the grass.

The contract with the family-owned company, Custom Lawn Service Inc., ends in March 2027. The Interior Department hired the same company last March to perform maintenance on the National Mall’s turf in a contract that also runs through March 2027.

Interior also paid the company nearly $1.8 million in late June in a contract described as “mall fuel spill urgent cleanup.” A department official said that contract was for cleanup of fuel that spilled in May. According to NBC, 30 gallons of fuel spilled onto the National Mall during a Freedom 250 event on May 17, which officials also blamed on vandals.

The Interior Department did not respond to a request for comment about the new contract.

Custom Lawn Service did not respond to a request for comment.