Be it your home, your land, one lot, one acre, 20 acres, 10 miles, the Hinton by-pass, 6,800 acres or 90,000 acres - once that acreage is owned by the National Park Service (or any government agency), that land is removed from the property tax base. Fewer taxes supporting our schools adversely affects the very quality of our children's education and their right to a decent education.

Why would an agency, any politician, informed or learned person go on condoning such governmental take-over of our private property?

But it's in the "view shed," the NPS says? Where does the "view shed" in the New River Gorge end with the National Park Service: right after the NPS gets your home, your land, one lot, one acre, 20 acres, 10 miles, the Hinton by-pass, 6,800 acres, or the whole 90,000 acres?

No matter where or how much land it is, as long as it is still in America, we, the people, (naturally born or here by choice) have a sovereign right to the enjoyment, current and future ownership of private property. We have a sovereign right to access to our public lands, moderation and scrutiny of our tax dollars, and the obligation to protect our resources, our freedom, our prosperity, our children and our grandchildren.

For any agency, person or politician to ever think an American citizen should accept or allow anything less is totally reprehensible. And the on-going rhetoric used to strip us of any of the aforementioned is equally as reprehensible, or should be, to a free society.

Jo Ann Roach

Hinton