ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 24, 1996 TAG: 9606240078
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ARLINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
A proposed expansion of Arlington National Cemetery is drawing protests from environmentalists and historical preservationists who want to protect 24 acres near the former home of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
A bill before Congress would permit the National Park Service to transfer the parcel to the Army for cemetery use after a study of the site's archaeological significance. Cemetery and Park Service officials said it is likely that about half the land would be found suitable for graves. Portions deemed archaeologically important would be preserved, they said.
Without the expansion, the cemetery will run out of burial land by 2025, cemetery Superintendent John Metzler Jr. said. Expanding it by 12 acres will provide space for about five additional years, he said.
But the proposal has drawn opposition from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, which contends that the expansion plan would destroy acres of trees that provide shade and a natural habitat for wildlife.
``It just seems like every time you turn around, there's more trees that are coming down in Northern Virginia,'' said James Wright, vice chairman of the club's Virginia chapter.
The Arlington Historical Society also has come out against the plan, saying it will detract from the historical value of the former Lee property.
``That's the last little piece of land that was part of the original plantation,'' said Sherman Pratt, the society's past president. ``For the thousands of visitors who visit the Arlington House each year, the only way that they can get some idea of what the plantation grounds looked like is from this little piece of land right here.''
The legislation, part of the 1997 Defense Authorization Act, was passed by the House of Representatives in May and is scheduled for a Senate vote this week.
Expansion foes visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and Charles Robb, D-Va., to block the legislation.
But Warner staff members said the senator supports the plan, which is based on an agreement between the Army and the Department of the Interior.
``There is a group that has legitimate concerns about the environmental and historical aspects of this proposal,'' said Eric Ruff, Warner's spokesman. ``Balancing that is the need of serving our veterans. And this legislation will ultimately get into finding the balance.''
A spokeswoman for Robb said the senator would support the measure if it included a statement that future transfer of land must be reviewed by Congress and approved by the departments of Defense and the Interior.
Under the legislation, the archaeological study would take place next year if Congress approved funding, Metzler said.
Before expansion takes place, an environmental assessment also must be done, said Audrey Calhoun, the superintendent of George Washington Memorial Parkway for the National Park Service, which runs Arlington House.
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