About the Virginia Sesquicentennial
Battlefield Initiative

Dear Virginia Preservationist,

As you know, there is a very small window of time remaining to protect Virginia’s Civil War Battlefields. In fast-growing regions of the Commonwealth, such as Northern Virginia, the Spotsylvania region, and the Richmond suburbs, the window of opportunity to save these sites will slam shut within the next five years. Through the generosity of our members, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) has managed to save more than 12,000 acres of hallowed ground in The Old Dominion. However, there are more than 50,000 acres of unprotected but indisputably historic battlefield land in the state that still must be preserved.

With the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War approaching in 2011, there has never been a better time to encourage state investment in battlefield preservation. We at CWPT are working with the Kaine Administration and the State Legislature to secure state matching grants for battlefield preservation. We are referring to this effort as the Virginia Sesquicentennial Battlefield Initiative.

The cornerstone of this Sesquicentennial Battlefield Initiative is a request for a $5 million appropriation to the Virginia Civil War Battlefield Fund, an existing program that has generated $700,000 for battlefield preservation in the past two years. Although we are grateful for this previous funding, the reality is that further progress will be difficult to achieve without a greater commitment on the part of the Commonwealth.

Help us make the Sesquicentennial Battlefield Initiative a reality. Please sign the petition and send it to CWPT. Encourage your friends and neighbors to sign the petition as well. Also, please contact your Virginia Senator and Delegate and ask them to support $5 million for the Virginia Civil War Battlefield Fund.

Thank you for your continued support of our battlefield preservation efforts!

Sincerely,

Jim Lighthizer
President, Civil War Preservation Trust