The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, saying a development proposed on land surrounded on three sides by Valley Forge National Historical Park would "desecrate" the park, wants Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to intervene.

Don't be surprised if George Washington returns to Valley Forge next week. A grassroots group is planning a rally for May 15 to protest plans to develop a portion of 78 acres of rolling land pressed on three sides by Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Where do you draw the line on national park boundaries? They long have been political creatures, with no regard to traditional wildlife corridors, viewsheds or, in some cases, common sense.

More than two centuries after General George Washington and his Continental Army somehow endured a bitterly cold and exacting winter at Valley Forge, the landscape is again in turmoil. On one side is a national historical park, one that helps preserve the memory of America's birth. On the other, an organization whose questionable motives could sully that landscape.

There's plenty of news around the national park system, if you take a look. Newspapers are questioning Yellowstone planners on their snowmobile decision, politicians are making hey with the Everglades, Glacier is celebrating its Peace Park status, and Valley Forge is facing development on its doorstep.