Finding the balance between preservation and development is a tough order.  On one hand, once historic land and structures are developed they are gone forever.  On the other, communities must have a tax base to thrive and prosper.  We all have a right to live in the present.  It is a mixed blessing, but the economic and housing crises have been playing a role in the preservation of Civil War battlefields.  A slower market means fewer buyers and lower property values, which in turn means owners are more willing to sell to preservationists.  This has been especially true at Gettysburg.