[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 79 (Friday, June 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1050-E1051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CEDAR CREEK BATTLEFIELD AND BELLE GROVE PLANTATION NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
                                  PARK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 13, 2002

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, after more than 11 years of study, effort, and 
public comment, I am proud to announce that today Senator John Warner 
and Congressman Bob Goodlatte and I are introducing legislation to 
create the Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove Plantation National 
Historical Park. The concept for the establishment of a new national 
park in the Shenandoah Valley was one of the key recommendations within 
the Management Plan for the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National 
Historic District.
  This legislation is the result of work from a broad range of interest 
groups including the National Park Service, local partner 
organizations, locally elected officials, local landowners and others. 
I want to recognize their efforts to produce this legislation. I 
believe the strength of this legislation lies with this widespread 
public interest.
  Legislation for the new park is an outgrowth of a bill sponsored by 
Senator Warner and the late Congressman French Slaughter in 1988 and 
the law passed in 1996 which established the Shenandoah Valley 
Battlefields National Historic District sponsored by Senator Warner and 
myself. The local citizen-based commission established for the 
Battlefields District recommended that Cedar Creek Battlefield be 
established as a new national park. The accompanying Park Service study 
found in fact only Cedar Creek met the criteria to be designated a 
national park.
  Originally conceived as purely a battlefield park, the local 
stakeholders expanded the vision to include a broader scope of history. 
The new park will preserve and interpret the rich story of Shenandoah 
Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond 
and protect the historic landscape which features panoramic views of 
the mountains, natural areas, and waterways in the northern Shenandoah 
Valley.
  Importantly too, the other nine Civil War battlefield sites within 
the Shenandoah Valley will benefit from the national park designation 
in the valley and increase in tourism at the new park, but each will 
continue to be protected and managed locally.
  The proposed park boundary includes approximately 3,000 acres at the 
intersection of Frederick, Shenandoah and Warren counties and is based 
on the 1969 boundary establish for the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove 
National Historic Landmark. Today, of the 3,000 acres, Shenandoah 
County and three private preservation groups, including Belle Grove 
Plantation, collectively protect nearly 900 acres within the park 
boundary.
  For years it has been the burden of local organizations to protect, 
honor, and interpret these nationally significant lands. Given 
increased development pressure, federal involvement is needed to help 
support the local efforts, to preserve historic lands for future 
generations, and to ensure continued high quality interpretation of the 
area.
  This park is a model for a new type of national park for the future. 
A key provision allows all landowners to continue their right to

[[Page E1051]]

sell their land whenever and to whomever they choose. The keys to this 
model are:
  A national park based on partnerships and local community 
involvement.
  A park where private organizations, families, and individuals will 
continue to live, work, and play within the boundary,
  A park that shares with visitors the full range of its cultural and 
natural history.
  A park created by the local community for the benefit of this and 
future generations.
  The park also will work with the community as land use and zoning 
decisions will continue to be administered by local authorities at the 
county or municipal levels.
  There are several landowners who will become key partners to the park 
by operating independent anchor sites within the 3,000-acre park 
boundary that serve to collectively benefit the visiting public. For 
example, the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation will continue to host 
the annual Battle of Cedar Creek Reenactment Weekend and other events 
and the Belle Grove Plantation will continue to be open to the public 
as a private museum holding living history, education, and charity 
events within the new park. In addition, Shenandoah County has plans to 
develop a light recreation county park with hiking trails and scenic 
overlooks on nearly 150 acres along the North Fork of the Shenandoah 
River within the national park boundary.
  Local involvement has played a key role in the crafting of the park 
legislation. The adjacent towns of Middletown and Strasburg 
enthusiastically endorsed the creation of the new national park. 
Private landowners within the proposed boundary shared thoughts and 
ideas on ways to ensure private property rights and quality of life and 
these important themes have been included within the legislation. The 
concept Is for this to be a local park first and foremost--park that is 
part of and benefits the local Shenandoah Valley community.

                          ____________________