III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 260 

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah 

National Park. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 

Mr. WEBB (for himself and Mr. WARNER) submitted the following resolution; 

which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the dedication of 

Shenandoah National Park. 

Whereas the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah National Park corresponds with the Civil War 

sesquicentennial, enriching the heritage of both the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States; 

Whereas in the early to mid-1920s, as a result of 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 purpose of providing the western national park experience to the populated eastern seaboard; 


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•SRES 260 ATS 

Whereas, in 1935, the Secretary of the Interior, Harold 

Ickes, accepted the land deeds for what would become 

Shenandoah National Park 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 Shenandoah National Park and border the 8 Virginia counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Madison, 

Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, and Warren; 

Whereas 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 Shenandoah National Park to heavily populated areas, including Washington, District of Columbia, promotes regional travel and tourism, providing 

thousands of jobs and contributing millions of dollars to 

the economic vitality of the region; 

Whereas 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, more than 90 fishable streams, 4 campgrounds, 7 picnic areas, 3 lodges, 6 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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•SRES 260 ATS 

Whereas the Park protects significant cultural resources, including— 

(1) Rapidan Camp, once a summer retreat for President Herbert Hoover and now a national historic landmark; 

(2) Skyline Drive, a historic district listed on the 

National Register of Historic Places; 

(3) Massanutten Lodge, a structure listed on the 

National Register of Historic Places; 

(4) 360 buildings and structures included on the 

List of Classified Structures; 

(5) 577 significant, recorded archeological sites, 11 

of which are listed on the National Register of Historic 

Places; and 

(6) more than 100 historic cemeteries; 

Whereas Congress named 10 battlefields in the Shenandoah 

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

1996 (section 606 of Public Law 104–333; 110 Stat. 

4174), and Shenandoah National Park, an integral partner in that endeavor, provides visitors with outstanding 

views of pristine, natural landscapes that are vital to the 

Civil War legacy; 

Whereas Shenandoah National Park also protects intangible 

resources, including aspects of the heritage of the people 

of the United States 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, 1976, Public Law 94–567 was enacted, designating 79,579 acres within Shenandoah National Park’s boundaries as wilderness under the WilderVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:32 Sep 09, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR260.ATS SR260

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•SRES 260 ATS 

ness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), which protects the wilderness character of the lands ‘‘for the permanent good 

of the whole people’’; and 

Whereas Congress should support efforts to preserve the ecological and cultural integrity of Shenandoah National 

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

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the 

3 dedication of Shenandoah National Park; and 

4 (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring sce5 nic, recreational, and economic value of the Park. 

Æ 


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