WASHINGTON — Legislation that would expand the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District into three Eastern Panhandle counties will be introduced to Congress.
Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va plans to introduce the Shenandoah Valley Access, Legacy, and Outdoor Recreation Act — known as the Shenandoah VALOR Act — that would add Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan counties in West Virginia, along with Rockbridge County in Virginia, to the historic district. The bill also would authorize funding for the district through fiscal year 2027 and set aside annual money for grants and land acquisition through 2033.
Congress created the historic district in 1996 to preserve Civil War-era sites across the Shenandoah Valley. A 2017 National Park Service study found the district draws millions of visitors annually and generates $293.2 million in economic impact, supports 3,930 jobs and produces $20.4 million in tax revenue each year.
Every member of West Virginia’s and Virginia’s U.S. House delegations supports the bill, according to Moore’s office. A companion measure in the Senate, introduced earlier this summer by Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., has backing from Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Mark Warner, D-Va.
Supporters say expanding the district would bring tourism dollars to the Eastern Panhandle and Rockbridge County while protecting historic sites such as the Battle of Shepherdstown in Jefferson County and the Battle of Hoke’s Run in Berkeley County. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and local partners would be able to develop trails, signage, tours and events at those sites if the bill becomes law.