I have read a report called ‘Panic at Cedar Creek’ from Professor Joe Whitehorne of Lord Fairfax. He is working on hundreds of acres of land at Cedar Creek now to unveil artifacts and interpret their meaning to the battle. There are new findings in this report that show where the true ‘core’ battlefield areas were and also discredits much of what I read above. I strongly disagree, after reading these facts, with the line:

They betrayed this community for 8 acres which lies in the footprint of the Bellle Grove Plantation and which had originally been promised to Belle Grove by Chemstone. They fundamental gave politcal permission to rezone ALL of the core battlefield.

The report clearly shows that first off, there will be a permanent easement set on, at this counting 200+ acres surrounding the battlefield, the 8 acres is going to go to Belle Grove from what I was told, and there are many more acres slated for preservation. that is not betraying anyones community nor is it for this 8 acre business. The report also stated that the ‘core’ battlefield areas on the north end were where a massive Federal line was formed & unfortunately destroyed by housing built in the 90’s, not the quarry. It seems that as information unfolds, it becomes clear that these groups need to stop screaming and start shaking hands. It’s tiring to hear accusations, it’s time for solutions, which seem to be happening with the Cedar Creek folks. The partners need to form an alliance and work together on some of these ideas I have read.

In fact many had contacted both Chemstone and this Supervisor about their concerns. $6000 was made available by the Preservation Coalition to bring in a unbiased professional facilitator to work out a reasonable compromise. CWPT made an offer to the Chemstone Corporate office to purchase over 500 acres of core Cedar Creek Battlefield. All of this was ignored or rebuffed. CCBF charged ahead claiming to save the world when in fact they get 8 acres and potentially the rights to artifacts on other land that was never included in the original 639 acres to be rezoned. They claim they got buffers and berms – all of which were part of proffers. They got us nothing except a complete rezoning and complete devasatation of an entire community, town and the demolition of hundreds of acres of core battlefield. They can spin all they want. But a spin is not the truth.

2 years ago, Preserve Frederick began volunteeering for CCBF reenactments. We had a tent set up and collected thousands of signatures opposing the expansion of this quarry operation onto all this core battlefield adjacent to historic Middletown, the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park and Cedar Creek. This past mid- August, we shared our alternative Plan B with all of the Preservation Coalition, including CCBF. At that time I told Suzanne Chilson that she could share this with her executive board and that after we heard back from Chemstone we would be happy to discuss it with their board. We presented the Plan B to the County and sent it to Chemstone on 8/31/07. On 9/17/07 a response was received from the company stating they would share it with their attorneys and engineers and be in touch. We never heard from them again. When the October ’07 Cedar Creek reenactment was being planned Suzanne Chilson specifically stated that Preserve Frederick could not set up a tent and could not speak to reenactors and visitors about Plan B. We volunteered anyway. Plan B – which included some mining in the very southern end of the property which was already impacted by current mining and which included significant protections to all of the nearby areas. We had hired a professional planner who is very knowledgeable about all of the significant historical aspects of all of the property. The southestern parcel that CCBF now has was already protected in Plan B – as was ALL of the 500+ acres north of the current operation because it had all been removed from the expansion with the hope and expectation that it could be preserved by CWPT.

The Preservation Coalition found out about CCBF’s back door trade deal a few weeks before the April Board of Supervisors hearing – when the decision was tabled until 5/28. At no time would CCBF make a firm comment about whether they would oppose, support or say nothing. “We take no exception'” was in fact their betrayal to all who’ve worked diligently and honestly on this issue for 2 long, hard years. They stood up and said Chemstone had been a ‘good naighbor’ which was completely contrary to anything they’d said before. They betrayed this community for 8 acres which lies in the footprint of the Bellle Grove Plantation and which had originally been promised to Belle Grove by Chemstone.

They fundamental gave politcal permission to rezone ALL of the core battlefield. Their explanation and excuses ring hollow for all of us. We do not accept their answers or their excuses – they know exactly what they did. Had they stood firm with the rest of us, who knows what would have happened? Respect, credibility, integrity. We hold our heads high –

Shame on them for what they did and what they say. It is not the truth.

The board members of Cedar Creek also are board members for Belle Grove Plantation, the National Park Service’s Advisory Commission, town councils and the group Preserve Frederick. As the rumors are spreading from certain people in the community to the newspapers, they are not realizing that the very groups they represent who are calling on explanations, are actually intertwined with Cedar Creek and fully aware of what is happening with the rezoning, the Quarry and the movement towards preserving parcels of land adjacent to the Quarry itself.

All partners were working on their own angle of negotiations. Preserve Frederick put out their compromise of letting the Quarry taking the ‘Northern’ Parcel, the one adjacent to Cedar Creek Battlefield, in the Summer 2007, others continued to flatly say no, and others tried to realize that like most large land rezonings, typically, the property owner will get their approval as long as they abide by their city/county’s stipulations. Below is Suzanne Chilson’s response that was sent out to the reenactment community today and I wanted to be sure that you were able to read it and we welcome your questions or responses. I appreciate your long-standing support for Cedar Creek and its partners in the Valley. We don’t want to lose your support or your attendance at the reenactment, the lack of support from our reenactment community would be taking a huge step backwards in trying to preserve something that all of us cherish. We do need your support in not only attendance, but verbally as well. Our group will continue to work for the better of the areas of Middletown, Cedar Creek and Strasburg and I hope that at this year’s reenactment, I will have the opportunity to meet you all. Thank you again for your past support and hopefully in advance for your future strong advocacy.

Julie Clevenger
Board of Directors
Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation
P.O. Box 229
Middletown, Virginia 22645
540-869-2064

cedarcrk@visuallink.com

http://www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org

June 23, 2008

To Our Reenactor Partners, Sponsors and Supporters:

There has recently been some negative and misleading publicity about the successful efforts of the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation to secure a binding agreement from O-N Mineral’s, (Carmeuse) to support preservation efforts and contribute to the shared goals of creating a reserve of property for further preservation efforts. We felt that we owe it to all of our reenactor partners, sponsors, supporters and the public to set the record straight. Contrary to the negative and incomplete information spread by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Belle Grove, Inc., the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation stood alone and successfully took the initiative to preserve and protect core battlefield land and artifacts.

After twenty years of intense and dedicated preservation efforts on the part of the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, (“CCBF”), we are deeply saddened and surprised that any entity would issue a public statement that so inappropriately characterizes the activities and intentions of the CCBF and its members. For this reason, we believe the facts concerning our relationship with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Belle Grove, Inc., (collectively designated “Belle Grove”), and Carmeuse, (the “Quarry”), need be disclosed.

Reenactments

CCBF held its first reenactment in 1990, and since that time has occasionally used additional property from Belle Grove, depending on the number of reenactors attending an event. In 1999, Belle Grove required a payment of $6,000 for the use of a few acres behind the plantation and reserved the right to cancel the agreement at anytime and for any reason. CCBF considered this unacceptable, and for the next several years, the event was held solely on CCBF lands. CCBF rented land from Belle Grove for the 140th Anniversary Reenactment in 2004, and through 2007. In addition to paying all the expenses associated with hosting the reenactments, CCBF has paid over $68,000 to Belle Grove since 1999.

First and foremost, our reenactment will continue this fall as it always has. Through the hard work of our many dedicated reenactors, sponsors and volunteers, we will continue our reenactment activities as scheduled on October 18 & 19, 2008, so that preservation, educational activities and respect for our heritage and history can continue. The reenactment will take place on the core battlefield lands owned by the CCBF, as it has for many years. The CCBF Board voted several months ago not to use the Belle Grove property this year due to the high cost of renting the land ($5,000 for 3 days).

Quarry

FACT – After almost two years of waiting for the local preservation partnership group to negotiate a position, two weeks before the quarry rezoning public hearing, the CCBF stood alone in attempting to negotiate with the Quarry to ensure responsible preservation efforts and responsible land use. Ever since the rezoning issue appeared, our organization had opposed the application, because none of the concerns the CCBF raised had ever been adequately addressed. However, it also became clear to our board members that the “just say no” policy was not a practical position to take when we learned that the limestone vein adjacent to the Battlefield was of the highest quality valued at least $300 million dollars. With the prospect that the Quarry operations would continue as planned, CCBF alone sought to intercede, negotiate and obtain commitments from the Quarry that would enhance and continue our preservation efforts. We were able to secure such an agreement from the Quarry and, more importantly, secured an agreement that would bind the Quarry whether or not its rezoning efforts succeeded.

On April 23, 2008, just hours before the Frederick County Board of Supervisors public hearing, CCBF President Hirschberg signed an agreement with the Quarry guaranteeing the following:

Ø Berms: To improve and enhance the viewshed, the Quarry will reduce the height of the berms around the pits that are visible from the Heater House fields and main battlefield. In addition, the Quarry will landscape the berms with a mixture of deciduous and coniferous plantings. The agreement reached between the Quarry and CCBF was crafted to eliminate or significantly reduce the visibility of the existing processing plant when viewed from Route 11. For two decades, the number one complaint from both reenactors and spectators has been having the processing plant as the backdrop to the battlefield. We believe protecting the viewshed is critical to the experience that our reenactors and visitors enjoy. Its mitigation will become the single most important improvement to the vista of the entire park for years to come. This was the result of simply meeting one-on-one with the Quarry, and sharing our concerns. Berm construction will not occur in areas identified as historically significant.

Ø Cultural Resources: An eight acre tract previously identified as historically significant will be donated to CCBF within sixty days of the signing of the agreement. The Quarry and the CCBF have also agreed that there exists other historical resources, (U.S. VI Corps camp area), immediately adjacent to the eight acre parcel which may encompass an additional twenty acres more or less. These acres will also be deeded to the CCBF upon the completion of an archaeological study to confirm its significance. A joint archeological survey by Dr. Clarence Geier and Dr. Joseph Whitehorne, (both noted experts on the Civil War), will be conducted on all other properties under consideration for rezoning and such studies will be paid for by the Quarry.

Ø Artifacts: All artifacts discovered will become the property of the CCBF and will be held in trust for the public benefit.

Ø Additional Land Donation: As part of the agreement, other newly discovered areas of historical significance, (such as an area known locally as the Middletown Woods), may also be deeded to the CCBF. As a result, more core battlefield may/will be donated to CCBF pending the conclusion of the archeological survey.

In addition to the items mentioned above, the Quarry decreased the acreage in the rezoning application, (from 639 acres to 394 acres), restricted the number of truck loads to 86 per day, and instructed drivers to avoid Belle Grove and Chapel Roads. Also, CCBF has begun discussions with the Quarry concerning the possible placement of preservation easements on substantial amounts of core battlefield land.

In summary, CCBF has at all times acted honestly, responsibly and in a manner believed to be in keeping with the Foundation’s mission statement. Our efforts have always depended on the sustained goodwill and dedicated efforts of our many reenactors, sponsors and volunteers who have enabled us to preserve this important national treasure known as the Cedar Creek Battlefield. Our actions were intentionally designed to ensure that the preservation efforts of the past are enhanced, additional battlefield land is immediately secured, and strategies are implemented that will lead to future battlefield and artifact protection.

We look forward to seeing you on October 18 & 19.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation,

Suzanne Chilson

Executive Director

Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation

P.O. Box 229

Middletown, Virginia 22645

540-869-2064

cedarcrk@visuallink.com

http://www.cedarcreekbattlefield.org

No. It would have been a waste of time to do so.

Eric

Short-term thinking is what is getting America into trouble.