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Decision Memorandum and Environmental Review to Support Emergency Activities
for Temporary Housing of Migrants
U. S. Department of the Interior National Park Service
Gateway National Recreation Area
Introduction
The National Park Service (NPS) is requesting alternative arrangements for National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) compliance pursuant to 43 CFR 46.150(c) (emergency responses).0F1 As described below, there is an urgent
need to respond to a humanitarian crisis caused by tens of thousands of migrants entering New York City (City) and
exceeding the City’s capacity for temporary shelter. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has concurred that
there is an emergency situation that can appropriately be addressed through the DOI NEPA emergency procedures at
43 CFR 46.150.
The NPS is proposing to enter into one or more agreements, leases, and other administrative arrangements in
accordance with its authorities to allow the City to use NPS lands for the purposes of temporarily operating a migrant
camp on Floyd Bennett Field (FBF) within Gateway National Recreation Area (GATE or park). The impacts of
allowing such use are not expected to be significant, and therefore an environmental assessment would be the
appropriate NEPA compliance pathway for this action. However, there is not time to complete an EA before action
must be taken to address imminent threats to human health and safety. Consistent with guidance from the Council on
Environmental Quality (Emergencies and the National Environmental Policy Act Guidance 2020), the information
contained herein, and the efforts to be taken regarding the emergency action, the NPS proposes to comply with the
regulatory requirements for EA content, interagency coordination, and public involvement to the extent practicable.
Background
New York City has seen an influx of approximately 100,000 migrants in the past year and is currently housing more
than 58,000 migrants in City shelters. The City has utilized areas such as soccer fields, recreation centers, and parking
lots to house migrants, but lacks additional space and resources to meet current needs. The influx of migrants has led to
overcrowding in existing facilities, instances of migrants being forced to sleep on sidewalks and other public areas, and
in some cases unsanitary conditions. Taken together, the situation has resulted in threats to health and safety of
migrants and others. The State of New York has declared a Disaster Emergency as a result of the large number of
migrants, stating, “federal support is critical to support the City of New York and other local governments within the
State that lack the infrastructure, facilities, and resources necessary to meet the immediate humanitarian demand to
house and meet other basic needs of the large numbers of migrant arrivals related to the large influx of migrants” (see
New York State Executive Order 28)