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Forbes bill would give Petersburg National Battlefield OK to grow
By Michael Buettner (Staff Writer)
Published: October 5, 2009
PETERSBURG - A new front has opened in the battle to preserve local Civil War sites with the introduction in Congress of a bill to authorize a major expansion of National Park Service holdings in the region.
U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., is the sponsor of the legislation, the "Petersburg National Battlefield Modification Act (H.R. 3388), which currently is being considered by the House Committee on Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, and by the Armed Services Committee.
The bill essentially gives the Park Service authority to go forward with a "final general management plan" that was drawn up nearly five years ago, said Bob Kirby, superintendent of the Petersburg battlefield park system.
That plan calls for the park to acquire more than 7,200 acres of land adjacent to its current holdings, mainly through donations of land. The parcels are mostly less than 100 acres in size, but three - near the Five Forks, Hatcher's Run and White Oak Road units - are more than 1,000 acres each.
The pending legislation does not provide any funds to buy the land and also does not authorize any taking by eminent domain. The bill authorizes acquisitions "from willing sellers only by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange or transfer."
Kirby noted that large segments of the target property already have been acquired by nonprofit groups. For example, the Civil War Preservation Trust has acquired about 2,000 acres in Dinwiddie County, the Conservation Fund also has bought some of the property, and the Isaak Walton League has obtained conservation easements on some of the land.
In 2007, the Civil War Preservation Trust listed the Petersburg National Battlefield Park as one of the nation's 10 most endangered Civil War sites. The group cited the threat of sprawl spurred by Fort Lee's expansion under the Base Realignment and Closure process in making the designation.
Not only will the expansion help protect the park system's battlefield sites, it also will enable the Park Service to offer more recreational opportunities to visitors, Kirby said.
"This is more than just battlefield preservation," he said. "We're hoping the community will make their feelings known to Congress and let them know we think this is a good quality-of-life issue."
The Armed Services Committee is involved in considering the legislation because it also includes a provision for the park to trade about 1.17 acres with Fort Lee. The purpose of the trade is to give the Army post some breathing space near the Mahone Avenue gate, where the park boundary currently "is literally right at the edge of the road," Kirby said.
- Michael Buettner may be reached at 722-5155 or mbuettner@progress-index.com.
Online at: http://www.progress-index.com/news/f...eld_ok_to_grow
By Michael Buettner (Staff Writer)
Published: October 5, 2009
PETERSBURG - A new front has opened in the battle to preserve local Civil War sites with the introduction in Congress of a bill to authorize a major expansion of National Park Service holdings in the region.
U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va., is the sponsor of the legislation, the "Petersburg National Battlefield Modification Act (H.R. 3388), which currently is being considered by the House Committee on Natural Resources' Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, and by the Armed Services Committee.
The bill essentially gives the Park Service authority to go forward with a "final general management plan" that was drawn up nearly five years ago, said Bob Kirby, superintendent of the Petersburg battlefield park system.
That plan calls for the park to acquire more than 7,200 acres of land adjacent to its current holdings, mainly through donations of land. The parcels are mostly less than 100 acres in size, but three - near the Five Forks, Hatcher's Run and White Oak Road units - are more than 1,000 acres each.
The pending legislation does not provide any funds to buy the land and also does not authorize any taking by eminent domain. The bill authorizes acquisitions "from willing sellers only by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, exchange or transfer."
Kirby noted that large segments of the target property already have been acquired by nonprofit groups. For example, the Civil War Preservation Trust has acquired about 2,000 acres in Dinwiddie County, the Conservation Fund also has bought some of the property, and the Isaak Walton League has obtained conservation easements on some of the land.
In 2007, the Civil War Preservation Trust listed the Petersburg National Battlefield Park as one of the nation's 10 most endangered Civil War sites. The group cited the threat of sprawl spurred by Fort Lee's expansion under the Base Realignment and Closure process in making the designation.
Not only will the expansion help protect the park system's battlefield sites, it also will enable the Park Service to offer more recreational opportunities to visitors, Kirby said.
"This is more than just battlefield preservation," he said. "We're hoping the community will make their feelings known to Congress and let them know we think this is a good quality-of-life issue."
The Armed Services Committee is involved in considering the legislation because it also includes a provision for the park to trade about 1.17 acres with Fort Lee. The purpose of the trade is to give the Army post some breathing space near the Mahone Avenue gate, where the park boundary currently "is literally right at the edge of the road," Kirby said.
- Michael Buettner may be reached at 722-5155 or mbuettner@progress-index.com.
Online at: http://www.progress-index.com/news/f...eld_ok_to_grow
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