West Virginia plans to renominate Blair Mountain for the National Register of Historic Places.
Deputy Commissioner Jacqueline Proctor says the Division of Culture and History is starting the process. But Proctor tells the "Charleston Gazette" newspaper that renominating the site won't be completed this year.
Preservationists want the site of the bloody southern West Virginia battle over union organizing in 1921 protected from surface coal mining. It was briefly added to the register last year, then removed after the number of objecting property owners was corrected from 22 to 30 out of 57.
Carol Shull, keeper of the register, suggested renomination in July to resolve efforts by the Sierra Club and other organizations to have the site returned to the register.
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