Press Releases

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Introduces a Bill to Protect Private Property Along the Journey Through Hallowed Ground

Washington, Mar 2, 2007 -

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett has introduced a bill to protect private property and establish the Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) as a National Heritage Area. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground is an effort to preserve and protect historic heritage sites along a 175-mile corridor in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. H.R. 1270 is also known as the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Education and Tourism Act.

“I strongly support historic preservation and private property rights,” said Congressman Bartlett. “H.R. 1270 would preserve and promote historic sites and the rights of every property owner in the Journey Through Hallowed Ground.” Under H.R. 1270, the composition of representatives in the management entity is flexible to reflect the concerns of affected property owners and governments. H.R. 1270 also includes a commitment that if a property owner suffers a loss due to decisions by the management entity that property owner should receive compensation for those losses as guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. “I believe taxpayers should not be burdened with funding the Journey Through Hallowed Ground and that it should be self-sustaining with the amount of resources already available in the Heritage Area,” said Congressman Bartlett.

H.R. 319 is a bill that has been previously introduced to establish the Journey Through Hallowed Ground as a National Heritage Area. In the 109th Congress, Congressman Bartlett testified against H.R. 5195. H.R. 319 is the same bill with minor cosmetic changes. H.R. 319 recommends $10 million in taxpayer funds to establish and operate the JTHG as a National Heritage Area. It also calls for an inventory of land that ought to be acquired. The bill also restricts membership on the management entity for the National Heritage Area to members of the JTHG Partnership before the bill's enactment.

Congressman Bartlett has written letters to Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Nick J. Rahall and Ranking Member Don Young and Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands Chairman Raul M. Grijalva and Ranking Member Rob Bishop requesting deferment of a markup on H.R. 319 and a hearing on H.R. 1270.