News Release

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park Developing a Comprehensive Site-Wide Trail System Environmental Assessment

Date: February 12, 2018
Contact: Robin Snyder, 434-352-8987 ext 222

Appomattox, Va. - The National Park Service is beginning the process of developing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed comprehensive site-wide trail system at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. The Park comprises approximately 1,770 acres and preserves the site of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant in April 1865. This peaceful surrender marked the beginning of national reconciliation following the Civil War. The Park is located in Appomattox County, 25 miles east of Lynchburg, Virginia.

The current trail system at the Park includes approximately 7 miles of unpaved hiking trails through the historic village and to interpretive sites throughout the Park. The EA will assess the potential impacts of a proposed multi-modal (pedestrian and bicycle) trail network that considers park objectives to provide access to military and civilian stories and to enhance the visitor experience, while protecting the natural and cultural landscapes. The trail alignments identified in the EA would improve accessibility throughout the Park, accommodate different trail users, and establish universally accessible areas within the Park. The proposed trail system would also connect to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s proposed Heritage Trail along Route 24 in order to increase the connection between the Park and the town of Appomattox. In addition, three proposed parking areas would support the proposed trail route.

The EA will be prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) and will provide the decision-making framework that 1) analyzes a reasonable range of alternatives to meet project objectives, 2) evaluates issues and impacts on Park resources and values, and 3) identifies mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of these impacts. Also, in accordance with the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (54 U.S.C 306108) and its implementing regulations (36 CFR Part 800), the National Park Service will prepare separate documentation to consider the effects of this undertaking on historic resources.
The Park encourages public participation throughout the planning process. There will be at least two opportunities to comment formally on the project – once during initial project scoping and again following release of the Draft EA. The National Park Service is currently in the scoping phase of this project and invites the public to submit written suggestions, comments, and concerns regarding the development of the proposed trails online at the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website located at
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/apco.
The opportunity to provide public comment to support this project will open on February 19th and will close March 19, 2018.

The National Park Service will also hold an open house to provide the opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the proposal. The open house will be held on March 1, 2018 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the American Civil War Museum – Appomattox located at 159 Horseshoe Road. The National Park Service will also be accepting comments at the open house. Commenters should be aware that their entire comment, including personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While commenters can ask that their personal identifying information be withheld from public review, the National Park Service cannot guarantee that this will be possible.

 

-NPS -

About Appomattox Court House National Historical Park: On April 9, 1865, the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia in the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia signaled the end of the nation's largest war. The stories of Appomattox Court House go far beyond the final significant battles of this nation's Civil War. Learn more at www.nps.gov/apco.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's more than 400 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.