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When the State of Virginia created the Park, hundreds of land owners were evicted from their property without adequate compensation. Families watched, sometimes handcuffed to fences, while authorities burned their homes and bams. Although these past injustices can’t be corrected, steps can be taken to ensure that this land so dearly bought stays in public ownership.
Park officials should not be allowed to trade away land acquired through condemnation without exhaustive public scrutiny—no matter what justification Park management can give. If the exchange of small parcels can help solve pressing boundary problems, the Park may propose such a trade. BUT they should be required to hold public hearings before negotiations proceed past the initial stages.
All landowners with property adjoining a parcel considered for trade should be immediately notified by registered mail, of the Park's intentions. And most important. Park authorities should be willing to abide by the opinions expressed at the public hearings.
Robinson's bill presents a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist—at least, not at the present time. The Park does not even have the power to buy land, much less to condemn. Why worry about a danger that isn’t facing us yet when we’re staring at a real threat.
We suggest that Robinson address this threat by introducing a second bill to replace the first—one that would place some controls on Park land being traded away into private ownership.
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