IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 62 

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah 

National Park. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 23, 2011 

Mr. GOODLATTE (for himself, Mr. WOLF, Mr. MORAN, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. 

SCOTT of Virginia, and Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the dedication of 

Shenandoah National Park. 

Whereas this historical milestone for Shenandoah National 

Park corresponds with the Civil War sesquicentennial, 

enriching the heritage of both the Commonwealth of Virginia and our Nation; 

Whereas, in the early to mid-1920s, with the efforts of the 

citizen-driven Shenandoah Valley, Inc., and the Shenandoah National Park Association, the congressionally 

appointed Southern Appalachian National Park Committee recommended that Congress authorize the establishment of a national park in the Blue Ridge Mountains 

of Virginia for the purposes of uniting the western national park experience to the populated eastern seaboard; 


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•HCON 62 IH 

Whereas, in 1935, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Harold 

Ickes accepted the land deeds from the Commonwealth of 

Virginia and, on July 3, 1936, President Franklin D. 

Roosevelt dedicated Shenandoah National Park ‘‘to this 

and to succeeding generations for the recreation and recreation they would find’’; 

Whereas the Appalachian Mountains extend through 200,000 

acres of the Shenandoah National Park and borders eight 

Virginia counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Madison, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, and Warren; 

Whereas the Shenandoah National Park is home to a diverse 

ecosystem of 103 rare and endangered species, 1,405 

plant species, 51 mammal species, 36 fish species, 26 

reptile species, 23 amphibian species, and more than 200 

bird species; 

Whereas the proximity of the Shenandoah National Park to 

heavily populated areas, including the Nation’s capital, 

promotes regional travel and tourism in partnership with 

its gateway communities, providing thousands of jobs and 

contributing millions of dollars to the economic vitality of 

the region; 

Whereas the Shenandoah National Park, rich with recreational opportunities, offers 520 miles of hiking trails, 

200 miles of which are designated horse trails and 101 

miles of which are part of the 2,175-mile Appalachian 

National Historic Trail; over 90 fishable streams; four 

campgrounds; seven picnic areas; three lodges; six 

backcountry cabins; and an extensive, rugged 

backcountry open to wilderness camping to the millions 

of people who annually visit the park; 


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Whereas the park protects significant cultural resources including a National Historic Landmark (Rapidan Camp, 

once a summer retreat for President Herbert Hoover); a 

Historic District (all of Skyline Drive) listed on the National Register of Historic Places; a structure 

(Massanutten Lodge) individually listed on the National 

Register of Historic Places; 360 buildings and structures 

included on the List of Classified Structures; 577 significant, recorded archaeological sites, 11 of which are listed 

on the National Register of Historic Places, and more 

than 100 historic cemeteries; 

Whereas Congress named ten battlefields in the Shenandoah 

Valley for preservation in the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and Commission Act of 

1996 and the Shenandoah National Park, an integral 

partner in this endeavor, provides visitors with outstanding views of strategic locations vital to the Civil 

War legacy in their pristine, natural landscapes; 

Whereas the Shenandoah National Park protects both tangible and intangible resources, including the heritage of 

the American people through the rigorous commitments 

of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the advancement 

of Civil Rights as Shenandoah’s ‘‘separate but equal’’ facilities became the first to desegregate in Virginia; 

Whereas, on October 20, 1975, Congress passed legislation 

designating 79,579 acres within the Shenandoah National Park’s boundaries as wilderness under the 1964 

Wilderness Act and the 1975 Eastern Wilderness Act 

which protects the wilderness character of the lands ‘‘for 

the permanent good of the whole people;’’; and 

Whereas this exemplary National Park unit deserves the support of Congress to preserve the ecological and cultural 


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integrity, maintain the infrastructure, and protect the famously scenic views of the Shenandoah Valley: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the 

4 dedication of Shenandoah National Park; and 

5 (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring sce6 nic, recreational, and economic value of this unique 

7 national treasure. 

Æ 


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