[CPEO-IRF] Ft. Monroe (VA) as national park?

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

National park status is the proper way to protect Monroe

OPINION BY H.O. MALONE AND MARK PERREAULT
NEWPORT NEWS DAILY PRESS (VA)
July 16 2006

With the Army poised to leave Fort Monroe in 2011, after 188 years of 
continuous presence at Old Point Comfort, the 29-member Steering 
Committee of Hampton's Federal Area Development Authority had its 
initial meeting on April 20 in the fort's former officers' club. Hampton 
City Manager Jesse Wallace convened the proceedings with the greeting: 
"Welcome to Fort Monroe, Hampton's newest neighborhood."

Many residents of Hampton Roads and beyond are wondering why historic 
Fort Monroe, reaching back to Capt. John Smith and the origins of our 
nation in 1607, is not on track to become a national park instead of an 
economic windfall for a single city. Hampton admits that a national park 
might be nice to have, but warns that it may not be feasible.

The established way to determine feasibility of a site as a national 
park is for Congress to direct the National Park Service - the 
designated custodian of our national heritage - to conduct a feasibility 
study. But instead of asking for a study, Hampton leaders downplayed the 
desirability and likelihood of a national park, focused on development 
possibilities and attempted - unsuccessfully so far - to have the 
General Assembly enact legislation transferring to Hampton the state's 
reversionary rights to much of the fort.

...

For the entire column, see
http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-72015sy0jul16,0,6724830.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials

--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
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