Management of WWI Training Trenches in Light of Current Military Training

Summary

More than nine miles of World War I training trenches have been identified on USAG Fort Lee (Fort Lee) in Prince George County, Virginia. Constructed by the 80th Division at what was then "Camp Lee" beginning in the fall of 1917, these trenches represent a significant historic resource associated with the Great War. Fort Lee is also one of only a few locations where such trenches survive in the United States. However, the trenches also pose a significant challenge in balancing mission and training needs with the responsibility of all federal agencies to consider effects on historic properties while meeting the Army’s mission. The most pressing need is the development of a long-term management plan, which includes ground-truthing trench segments identified via LiDAR, detailed topographic survey of current trench conditions, and archival research regarding trench construction and use. In 2017, a small portion of the trenches was surveyed to assess feasibility of the proposed work in support of the future management plan.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22033