In their ongoing crusade to save as many acres of Civil War battlefield land as possible, the Civil War Preservation Trust annually names their top ten most endangered grounds.This year's list features some of the best known, and also some of the least known battlefields in America. Among the famous sites are lands that saw enormous casualties, such as Gettyburg, where a gambling casino is attempting to spoil the battlefield environment, and the Wilderness, where the Super Wal-mart fight continues. In Richmond, Kentucky a new highway interchange threatens the tremendous efforts and accomplishments underway there. At Pickett's Mill, Georgia, state budget cuts have limited the availability of the park to the public, reduced the staff, and left needed projects undone.
Lesser known sites, such as Camp Allegheny, West Virgina, where a project to place a number of forty-story high wind turbines would destroy the pristine environment and historic atmosphere; and Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia, where a proposal to build a huge cell telephone tower would likewise ruin the historic feel of the area, are both significant threats.
For more information on the other sites and how you can help contribute to fight the development of these Civil War battlefields, please visit: www.civilwar.org/history-under-siege/
Another lesser known site is South Mountain and Fox's Tavern. The Civil War Preservation Trust (www.cpmv.org) was established in 2008 as a direct result of Dominion Transmission, Inc. (DTI) expressed interested in desecrating the land the Civil War Soldiers fought on during the Battle of South Mountain. DTI now owns Fox's Tavern and the surrounding 135 acres. In 2007 DTI submitted a "Pre-Application" with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to explore the possibility of destroying this land to build a Gas Compressor Station because it was "conveniently located" near the gas pipeline. They then revoked the pre-application stipulating they intended to pursue the development of a gas compressor station in 2012 (the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of South Mountain) in Frederick County, MD and a month later purchased Fox's Tavern and the surrounding land. What do you believe they were thinking when they bought the land? Do you think they were planning to build elsewhere? We don't think so which is why we continue our efforts to protect the land in Middletown, MD. Visit our site for more information (www.cpmv.org).
ReplyDeleteI need to retract my previous post The second sentence above should have read "THE CITIZENS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MIDDLETOWN VALLY" not the Civil War Preservation Trust. My apologies.
ReplyDelete