National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announce a $4 million acquisition of battlefield land for Richmond National Battlefield Park. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

GLENDALE, Va.–Some telling quotes from the official remarks of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis here, 14 miles east of Richmond, on Wednesday afternoon:

McDonnell: “The history of Virginia is the history of our country, and we want all Americans, and visitors from across the world, to come to the Commonwealth to learn about this incredible history. Richmond is home to some of the most historic events in our country’s narrative, and this partnership in preserving more of our battlefields will ensure that future generations are able to learn about our past and inform the future of this great country. Tourism also supports jobs across the Commonwealth. In 2010, tourism in Virginia generated $18.9 billion in revenue, provided $1.3 billion in state and local taxes and supported more than 204,000 jobs. In these difficult economic times, these investments in our history will also pay dividends to our future by putting more people back to work.”

Salazar: “Tourism is one of the top economic drivers in Virginia and in communities throughout the country. These [land] acquisitions, funded by fees from offshore oil and gas development, will enable us to preserve two key battlefields of the Civil War and help draw more visitors and jobs to the area. This is a win-win situation for everyone.”

Jarvis: “The events that unfolded on this landscape are as important as those that took place in Gettysburg and Manassas. What happened here changed how this war would be fought, and what it would be fought over. Until now, this has been little understood because there were few places preserved to tell that story and they were disconnected from one another. That changes today.”