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Subject: [USCW-PRESERVATION] Preservationists WIN at Gettysburg
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:05:12 EST

CWPT Applauds Decision Against Gettysburg Casino
Dec. 20, 2006--During a public hearing today, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control
Board rejected a proposal to build a 3,000-machine slots parlor one mile from
the Gettysburg Battlefield. James Lighthizer, president of the Civil War
Preservation Trust (CWPT), issued the following statement in the wake of the vote:

“This is a great day for Gettysburg and for preservationists throughout the
nation. By not allowing gambling to encroach on this famous town and
battlefield, Pennsylvania has sent a clear message that it cares deeply for its historic
treasures. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most significant
battlefield preservation victory since the defeat of Disney’s proposed theme park
at Manassas in the early 1990s.

“Together with the many thousands of Americans who have anxiously awaited
this decision for some 20 months, I applaud the members of the Gaming Control
Board and thank them for recognizing that Gettysburg and gambling don’t mix.

“I also want to thank the tireless volunteers of No Casino Gettysburg and
recognize the work of our other partners in the Stop the Slots Coalition. There
is no question that this victory was a team effort.

“I sincerely hope this vote will serve to motivate preservationists to
redouble their efforts to save the remainder of the Gettysburg Battlefield before it
is lost forever. The casino proposal itself was merely a symptom of a larger
development problem plaguing Gettysburg and many other Civil War battlefield
communities. The Civil War Preservation Trust is committed to working with
other preservation groups to protect the Gettysburg battleground.”

Since the Gettysburg slots parlor was first proposed in April 2005, CWPT has
been one of the leading voices against the casino. Earlier this year, the
organization identified Gettysburg as one of the most endangered battlefields in
the nation because of the slots proposal. CWPT members collected more than
34,000 signatures in opposition to the casino. Together with the National Parks
Conservation Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, No
Casino Gettysburg and Preservation Pennsylvania, CWPT is proud to be a member of
the Stop the Slots Coalition.

The Civil War Preservation Trust is a 70,000-member nonprofit battlefield
preservation organization. Its mission is to preserve our nation’s endangered
Civil War sites. Since 1987, the organization has saved more than 23,000 acres of
hallowed ground throughout the United State, including 697 acres in and
around Gettysburg. CWPT’s website is located at www.civilwar.org.

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