Pennsylvania Battlefield Saved from Development

A 45-acre tract that was part of the Battle of Gettysburg has been protected from development through the efforts of preservation groups and NRCS’s Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP).

The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) announced that Shea Farm, part of East Cavalry Field at Gettysburg Battlefield, has been preserved. The land was the scene of Civil War fighting on July 3, 1863.

"Protection of the Shea Farm underscores our commitment to protecting this often-forgotten cavalry battlefield," said CWPT President James Lighthizer.

Four other groups joined CWPT in securing a conservation easement for the farm -- at a cost of $93,950 -- including the Land Conservancy of Adams County, the Conservation Fund, Adams County Agricultural Land Preservation Board, and Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg.

The key element in the deal was the $56,200 FRPP matching grant. The program, administered by NRCS, can be used to protect farmland with "historic or cultural resources."

It is the second time that FRPP has been used to protect a cavalry-related site at Gettysburg. In 2002, CWPT and the Land Conservancy of Adams County secured a $92,000 grant to save the 114-acre Weikert Farm at Fairfield Battlefield, which was fought as part of the Gettysburg Campaign.

The groups' ultimate goal is to secure additional farmland conservation easements at other cavalry battlefields related to the Gettysburg Campaign and then to connect those sites to form a cavalry battlefields driving tour.

Article courtesy of Public Opinion.  Image of Gettysburg battlefield statue courtesy of CWPT.