Guest Column: An imminent threat to Virginia’s hallowed ground
By Cheryl Schreier
Feb 19, 2026
America’s national parks and public lands represent the very best of this nation. Unrivaled in their natural beauty and significance, these vast and glorious spaces of refuge, recreation, and reflection define our history.
During my 40 years with the National Park Service, I served at 10 different units of the National Park System, retiring as superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. I have seen the wonder in the eyes of visitors who revel in the history and magnificence of our parks and memorials.
I have also seen countless ways these treasured lands have been threatened: oil and gas drilling, the mounting impacts of climate change, misuse and overtourism, the recent draconian cuts to essential funding and staff, and reckless development.
The plan to build the world’s largest data center complex next to Manassas National Battlefield Park is the most significant threat to a national battlefield park in decades. This 5,000-acre national park, which commemorates two critical battles of the Civil War, welcomes over 600,000 people each year. And it is hallowed ground to over 4,000 men who lost their lives there in 1861 and 1862. Today, it provides an irreplaceable educational landscape that helps us understand the battle and its impacts.
This battlefield and surrounding landscape are now at risk from the planned PW Digital Gateway complex. This massive development would include 37 buildings covering roughly the space of 144 Walmart Supercenters and consume enough electricity to power more than 2 million homes, fed by miles of high voltage transmission lines strung over the hallowed grounds of Manassas and private homes of Prince William County.
The 1,750-acre rezoning that made way for the project was hastily approved by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, despite overwhelming public opposition and against its own staff recommendations. Quite simply, the Prince William board breached its duty to give due account to the historical, environmental and other impacts of their rezoning decision.
Yet there is hope.
The Virginia Court of Appeals will soon weigh whether to uphold a lower court decision in favor of the Oak Valley Homeowners Association that voided the rezoning, citing improper notice provided by the county. A parallel lawsuit filed by a group of county residents and the American Battlefield Trust has been consolidated for argument with this Oak Valley case, and both will be heard on Feb. 24.
The Coalition for the Protection of National Parks and five other leading national and regional conservation organizations have collectively raised their voices in support of the trust’s lawsuit. In our amicus brief, we explained the project “would inevitably lead to the irreversible and irreparable desecration of hallowed ground and the despoiling of the natural and cultural resources.” This landscape would never be the same.
We must protect our history, environment, economy and parks. We urge the court to uphold the lower court’s ruling in the Oak Valley case, and for this project and all future data centers to be thoughtfully and carefully cited with consideration of all historic and environmental considerations. Help us to avoid the otherwise inevitable degradation of land that has been protected for us today and for future generations.
Cheryl Schreier has worked at 10 different national park units during her career, including Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where she retired as superintendent in 2019. She is currently chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.