VA, MD, WVA, PA Governors Send Congress Letter of Support
Hundreds to Gather in Leesburg on April 25th for Stakeholder Meeting

For Immediate Release  
March 29, 2007
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Waterford, Virginia –With an official letter of support signed by the Governors of Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, in addition to support from the President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and editorials of support being published by community newspapers along the historic corridor, support continues to grow significantly for the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Act which would create the Nation's 38th National Heritage Area and, by far, its most historic. 

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, and West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III together signed and sent a letter of support of HR 319 and S. 289 to the respective leaders in the House[PDF file] and Senate[PDF file] on February 25, 2007. They site the history of the region, the regional economic benefits of working together, and the bill's respect for the rights of property owners as the primary reasons they support the JTHG National Heritage Area legislation.

 The legislation has recently been tagged by The National Center for Public Policy Research, a right-wing ultra conservative lobbying organization as being a federal assault on property rights. John M. Fowler, executive director, President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, wrote in a letter to congressional leaders this week that these assertions were "groundless" and he encouraged support for the bill.

 "This bill protects the rights of personal property owners while providing the framework for Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania to create heritage tourism and education initiatives," said Frank Wolf (R-VA), the bill's original sponsor. "This landscape has been inspirational to American leaders for hundreds of years and I hope it can inspire American leaders for centuries to come."

 The bill closely mirrors other National Heritage Area bills and that a study by the General Accounting Office concluded that National Heritage Areas do not have any affect on personal property - negative or positive. The bill, HR-319, was reported favorably out of Committee and has been referred to the full House for consideration.

 Grassroots support for HR 319 is solid and growing. The Culpeper Star Exponent and The Free Lance Star in Fredericksburg, VA recently published editorials supporting the legislation. A group of locally-elected officials signed and sent a letter of support to newspapers from Gettysburg to Monticello. They join over 35 businesses, 32 county, state, and regionally elected bodies, 30 preservation, conservation and recreation organizations, 15 heritage sites and foundations, 21 educators and over 250 private citizens who have also endorsed The Journey Through Hallowed Ground and its effort to become a National Heritage Area.

Links to Editorials:
The Free Lance Star, Frederiscksburg, VA – National Heritage Area will benefit all of us
Culpeper Star Exponent, Culpeper, VA – Preserving past is a key to our future, Our View
The Free Lance Star, Frederiscksburg, VA – Hallowed ground, Journey through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area legislation merits passage

In related news, Madison County, Virginia, which has incorporated the proposed National Heritage Area into its master plan that was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in the past year, last week voted to pass a resolution of support to endorse the National Scenic Byway initiative also underway. According to officials with JTHG, with Madison's vote, every jurisdiction from Gettysburg to Monticello - the entire length of the historic corridor - has expressed support of the National Scenic Byway and will participate in the preparation of corridor management plan.