Who Sees Dead People?

Earlier I wrote about Blair Mountain, West Virginia, its historical importance, and the effort to preserve it. (here & here.)

Recently Jeff Biggers offered an update on the bizarre actions of the West Virginia Historic Preservation Office.

Biggers reports: "On December 30, 2009, the historic Blair Mountain Battlefield was removed from the National Register by the Interim Keeper of the National Register, Carol Shull despite the fact that the WV State Historic Preservation Officer list of land-owning objectors admittedly included TWO DEAD PEOPLE and two life estate holders--all of whom should be disqualified.

Not quite admittedly: In an email inquiry on January 6th, WV SHPO Susan Pierce wrote: 'We cannot confirm or deny that there are no deceased on the SHPO list dated May 21, 2009.'...If the SHPO, whose state mandate is to 'identify, recognize, preserve and protect West Virginia's prehistoric and historic structures and sites,' openly doesn't even know who is an objector on the Blair Mountain list, outside of what she has been told by the coal companies."