This is sorta effed. The National Park Service is cutting down hundreds of acres of trees on the Gettysburg Battlefield to restore historical accuracy.
From NBC News in Pennsylvania:
The National Park Service is starting another phase of its efforts to return Gettysburg Battlefield to how it looked in 1863, during the Civil War. The Union Army placed its cannons in the area, WGAL-TV reported. Park historians said the extra trees give visitors the impression that troops engaged in “jungle fighting.” Trees old enough to have stood during the battle will not be cut down.
The Park Service is spending $2.3 million to cut 576 acres of newer trees and restore as many 1863 views as possible. So far, the park has cut 165 acres of trees, but officials said they’ve been careful to leave in place trees that stood during the battle. This isn’t the first project performed at the battlefield. In 2005, the battlefield received a facelift.
I mean, I’m all for history, and historical accuracy, but I’m not going to suggest going out and strewing some dead bodies across the land. So why chop down trees that have been there for more than 100 years now?
(h/t: Reader DS in Philly)
