According to the Park’s 2008 General Management Plan (GMP) as described in “Fence Lines Fields, and Forest:
Manassas Battlefield Cultural Landscape Report” the park is to “focus on interpreting the two battles of Manassas as distinct military events where visitors would gain
a thorough understanding of the first and second battles”.
To encourage this understanding, the cultural landscape report goes on to say “To fully appreciate the setting of those two battles in July 1861 and August 1862, respectively, one must understand the agrarian landscape that existed at that time.
Over the years since the battles, some areas of the landscape have been allowed to grow back to forested areas that do not allow visitors to see the landscape and site lines the way it looked during the battles.
This project is one phase of the effort to restore the landscape to the historic appearance.