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The Great Dismal Swamp, as the name given to it by mosquito-swatting British colonists implies, isn’t always hospitable to humans. Although it’s now part of a popular national wildlife refuge and drawing closer to welcome designation as a National Heritage Area, early settlers weren’t so impressed.The new arrivals were frustrated by their inability to turn even part of the swamp into a proper English garden or exploit it as a shipping route, not to mention fend off the eager overtures of bugs, black bears and other wildlife.
But in time, the “great” in the name became more evident — through recognition of its un-dismal beauty and diverse ecosystem, its value as wetlands and a natural flood control and water quality network and its capacity to store massive amounts of carbon on a planet increasingly threatened by climate change.The swamp, already the home of subsequently displaced Native American tribes, also became a valuable source of cedar shingles and lumber, the location of a 22-mile-long canal (dug under brutal conditions by enslaved African Americans supervised by George Washington), a refuge for men and women seeking freedom from bondage and a critical stop on the Underground Railroad.The swamp’s history, as rich as the peat soil beneath the feet of visitors, may soon gain greater recognition as a National Heritage Area.
The Great Dismal would join 62 other cultural and natural treasures across the nation, making it eligible for additional congressional funding and enlisting the National Park Service to assist with education, recreation and conservation efforts.No land-use changes are part of the designation, and any changes in management of the area are made locally, not by the federal government. In addition to more federal funding, potential benefits include a boost in tourism.
Another exciting possibility is additional money for ongoing archaeological work on parts of the swamp inhabited by tens of thousands of people over the years, including men and women fleeing slavery. Their fascinating story has been told in several excellent books in recent years, including “Dismal Freedom” by historian J. Brent Morris.
From now until May 19, the National Park Service is accepting comments online at shorturl.at/43qID to assist with a feasibility study it will present to Congress next year. The final decision about the designation will be made on Capitol Hill.
A fuller explanation of the heritage program, started under the Reagan administration, is available at the National Park Service’s website, nps.gov.The late Donald McEachin, who represented Richmond and nearby localities in the 4th Congressional District, started this process in 2021 with bipartisan support from Rep.
Bobby Scott and then-Rep. Elaine Luria in southeastern Virginia, and Rep. Greg Murphy and then-Rep.
G.K. Butterfield from northeastern North Carolina.
A similarly promising idea is underway to designate Fort Monroe in Hampton and several sites in Maryland as the Chesapeake National Recreation Area, drawing more public attention and congressional funding to efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay and tell its rich history.Sign up for Viewpoints, an opinion newsletterThe designation would help raise the profile of Fort Monroe, whose historic roles as the first arrival point of enslaved Africans and as the site of a pivotal moment of self-emancipation at the start of the Civil War deserve broader appreciation and understanding.The bipartisan CNA effort has won support from Maryland lawmakers, as well as Sens.
Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Reps. Rob Wittman and Bobby Scott, among others. Like the Dismal Swamp designation, this status would draw the National Park Service into a larger management role but leave land-use decisions at a local level.
Both efforts deserve the full backing of Hampton Roads residents and leadership. Our region was bestowed with a bounty of natural beauty and a rich history. It’s up to us to protect those assets for future generations and share the bounty with other Americans and the world.
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