Preservation news in VA

[dusty27]

To: Supporters of Battlefield Preservation in Virginia


For the second year running, the Virginia General Assembly is considering legislation to help save Civil War battlefields. The legislation (Budget Amendment #370) allocates $2 million in matching grants for the Virginia Civil War Site Historic Preservation Fund.


Last year, the state legislature allocated $500,000 for the Civil War Site Historic Preservation Fund. Although a good start, much more is needed if we are going to save endangered battlefields in high-growth areas around

There is no question that $2 million for battlefield preservation in the Old Dominion is urgently needed. As a Virginia resident, you know better than most how much land values have increased in the past few years. Needless to say, this has vastly increased the cost of rescuing historic land in the state with the most Civil War battlefields in the nation. Our purchase of the Slaughter Pen Farm in 2006 for $12 million is just one example of the high cost of preserving land in Virginia.


Please take a moment in the next few days to contact your state legislators and urge them to allocate $2 million for the Virginia Civil War Site Historic Preservation Fund. The sooner you can do so, the better.


To identify your state legislators, follow the link below and enter your address:
==> http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform


Please use the information provided to call, fax or email your legislators at their Richmond offices today! The quickest way to contact them is to click on the “Send a message to your Delegate and Senator” button at the bottom of the linked page


Talking points are provided below if you need help composing your message. If you have any questions, please reply to this email or call 1-800-298-7878 ext. 224.
Thank you for your support of battlefield preservation in the Old Dominion!


Sincerely,

Jim Lighthizer, President

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Virginia Civil War Historic Site Preservation Fund


· Urge your legislators to support Budget Amendment #370, which provides $2 million in FY07-08 for the Virginia Civil War Historic Site Preservation Fund.

· The patrons of the budget amendment are Senator Edd Houck (Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Louisa, Orange, Madison, Fredericksburg) and Delegate Joe May (Clarke, Loudoun, Leesburg).


· The program encourages battlefield preservation in the Commonwealth and will also enable Virginia to attract its fair share of federal battlefield preservation dollars.


·Virginia has more Civil War battlefields than any other state in the nation. According to a Congressional study completed in 1993, 123 of the 383 most significant Civil War battlefields in the U.S. are located in the Old Dominion.


· Although the $500,000 allocated by the General Assembly for the FY06-07 budget year was a good start, much more money is needed if we are going to save Virginia’s Civil War heritage in the few years remaining to do so.


· In 2006, money from the Virginia Civil War Historic Site Preservation Fund was used to help save the Slaughter Pen Farm in SpotsylvaniaCounty and the Glendale Battlefield in HenricoCounty.


· The Virginia Civil War Historic Site Preservation Fund also helps cash-strapped local governments protect historic open space in their communities.


· The fund also helps Virginia landowners by enabling non-profits to offer fair market value for property, allowing preservation groups with limited financial resources to better compete in the marketplace.




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Jim Lighthizer, President
Civil War Preservation Trust
1331 H Street NW, Suite 1001
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 367-1861
http://www.civilwar.org