 |
|
|
Management of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District is a collaborative effort led by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. A number of planning documents and policies guide the work of the Battlefields Foundation and its collaboration with partners. The list below provides a brief description of each item and links to download these documents in pdf format. Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and Commission ActThe National Historic District was designated by Congress in 1996. The District’s legislation described its purpose, spelled out a process for developing a plan for implementation of the legislation, and authorized funding for that implementation. Download the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and Commission Act of 1996. Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Management PlanThe National Historic District legislation directed that a federal commission comprised primarily of Shenandoah Valley residents and stakeholders create a plan for management of the District and implementation of the District’s establishing legislation. The resulting Management Plan was completed and approved by the Secretary of the Interior in 2000. The plan—which is also a full environmental impact statement—continues to serve as the primary guiding document for the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and its partners as we collaborate to fulfill the directives of the District’s legislation. Download the Management Plan sections:
Cover Battlefield Preservation PlansThe District’s Management Plan directs the Battlefields Foundation to work with landowners and local governments to develop plans for the preservation of the ten battlefields in the District’s legislation. So far this has been done for four: Cross Keys and Port Republic in Rockingham County and Fisher’s Hill and Tom’s Brook in Shenandoah County. The Foundation worked closely with both counties as well as steering committees of local landowners to develop these plans which are now providing landowner-directed guidance for the Battlefields Foundation’s preservation efforts. In addition, the counties adopted both plans as part of their own planning guidance. Both plans were funded with grants from the American Battlefields Protection Program of the National Park Service.
Download the Cross Keys and Port Republic Battlefields Preservation Plan. SVBNHD Interpretive PlanMuch of the Civil War story in the Valley is told at partner sites throughout the District. The District-wide Interpretive Plan provides a blueprint for these sites to collaborate in their interpretive activities, thus providing visitors with a seamless experience as they move through the District—one of its primary goals is to prepare the District for the nationwide commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War (2011-2015). As directed by the Management Plan, the Battlefields Foundation worked with partners, attractions, historical societies, tourism offices, and other stakeholders to develop the plan, which was completed in 2008 and funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program. Download the Interpretive Plan. SVBNHD Marketing PlanMore than 91% of travelers to the Shenandoah Valley say that their visit met or exceeded their expectations and the 21% who said that their visit exceeded their expectations were more likely to have visited a historic site in the region. In short, the Valley is everything that visitors expect and more. A key element of the mission of the District and the Foundation is to increase visitation to the Valley, thereby delivering fuel for the region’s economic engine. To encourage a coordinated and comprehensive promotional effort for the District, a marketing plan was developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Heritage Tourism Program in collaboration with partners throughout the region. The plan includes new market research for the District – including the statistics above – and serves as menu of marketing options for the Foundation and its partners as the region prepares for the Sesquicentennial (the 150th anniversary) of the Civil War from 2011 to 2015. Policies for Management of Land Owned by the SVBFThe Battlefields Foundation’s preservation of battlefield land doesn’t end with a purchase of a property or a conservation easement. Preserving the battlefield areas also requires good stewardship practices. As the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation began its work to preserve battlefield land in the National Historic District, it worked to develop management policies for land owned by the Foundation. Crafted with assistance from the National Park Service, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and partner organizations throughout the National Historic District, these policies are designed to safeguard the fragile resources that may still exist on that land, while allowing for hunting, fishing, appropriate living history demonstrations, and other uses. In many cases, the land continues to be farmed the way it has been since before the Civil War, thus maintaining the viewsheds of those battlefield areas from interpretive vantage points. Download the Land Management Policies packet, including: To receive a hard copy of any of these documents in the mail, please contact our offices:
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation |
Jed Hotchkiss: Shenandoah Valley Mapmaker Read More Ranger-Led Programs at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical park Read More Valley Battlefields Staff Rally in DC for National Heritage Areas From Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Valley Campaign, to Robert E. Lee's drive toward Gettysburg Learn More |