Dear Fellow Civil War Enthusiasts,
I write to you this evening with further confirmation that Wal-Mart’s plans to locate a Supercenter adjacent to The Wilderness Battlefield can be averted. Today, the Civil War Preservation Trust sent an email to its members asking for their support. This call-to-action requests you to send an email to Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke. This can be done easily by using a form on their website. If you live in the Orange County, Virginia area you are encouraged to attend the Orange County Board of Supervisors board meeting on Monday, July 27. Hopefully many local residents, preservationists and Civil War buffs will be in attendance. The CWPT has created a blog to follow their “No Wilderness Wal-Mart” campaign, which can be reached by clicking here.
Best Regards,
Mike Noirot
Printed below, is the Civil War Preservation Trust’s email.
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The Wilderness Walmart controversy is drawing to a close, but it’s not too late to save this irreplaceable national treasure. Orange County will hold a public hearing next week, and we need your help once again to prevent Walmart from building a Supercenter on the Wilderness Battlefield.
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and House Speaker Bill Howell recently wrote the Orange County Board of Supervisors, urging them to find a location for Walmart that doesn’t infringe on the Wilderness Battlefield. Kaine and Howell’s call for a compromise solution was echoed a few days later by Senator Jim Webb of Virginia. They join an overwhelming number of local residents and concerned preservationists who agree that the Wilderness Battlefield is no place for big box retail.
How long can Walmart and Orange County ignore these calls to move Walmart away from the Wilderness Battlefield?
Building a Walmart, plus an additional three “baby box” stores, at the proposed site would have a dramatic impact on the battlefield and National Park, and would open up the region for even more incompatible development. All of this would completely undermine the visitor experience at the battlefield for generations to come.
The Board of Supervisors is set to weigh in on the proposed Walmart in the coming weeks, which is why we need your help today.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Write to Walmart CEO Michael Duke: Please write a letter to the CEO of Walmart, Michael Duke, and ask him to respect the Wilderness Battlefield and find an alternate location in Orange County for their Supercenter. There are many places to build a Walmart, but there is only one Wilderness Battlefield.
Attend the public hearing: If you live in or near Orange County, please consider attending the public hearing. The Board of Supervisors public hearing is Monday, July 27, at 7:00 p.m., at Orange County High School, 201 Selma Road, Orange, VA 22960. Make your voice heard and urge the Supervisors to find a better site for Walmart.
Click here for resources to stop the Wilderness Walmart.
Click here for a map of the public hearing location.
Throughout this struggle, the preservation community has consistently sought a reasonable compromise. It’s not too late. We need your help now, more than ever, to let Walmart know that 240,000 square feet of big-box development does not belong on the Wilderness Battlefield.
Please help us protect the Wilderness Battlefield. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us (202-367-1861 ext. 220). I hope we can count on your continued support to save the Wilderness Battlefield!
Thank you.
Best,
Brent Laurenz
