CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Sierra Club and Ohio Valley Environmental Council want federal and state officials to return the Blair Mountain Battlefield to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Battle of Blair Mountain was fought in August 1921 along a 15-mile ridgeline between Boone and Logan counties. It was the largest armed conflict in U.S. labor history.

At least 7,500 coal miners marched from Marmet over Blair Mountain, trying to organize non-union mines in Logan County. The miners battled with a force of 3,000 law officers, many of whom worked for coal companies.

Carol Shull, keeper of the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C., removed Blair Mountain Battlefield from the National Register on Jan. 6.

Andrea C. Ferster, a Washington lawyer representing the three groups, wrote a letter on July 6 to Shull and Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of the state Division of Culture and History.

The three groups, Ferster wrote, intend to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court before September if the site is not returned to the National Register.

Jacqueline Proctor, deputy director of Culture and History, said she would be willing to comment on Ferster's letter, which she said she received Thursday afternoon, after she'd had a chance to read it carefully.

Ferster wrote, "A large portion of Blair Mountain Battlefield has been acquired by mining interests, who intend to undertake mountaintop-removal mining activities within the site."

Shull improperly used a list of 57 owners released by West Virginia's State Historic Preservation Office on March 26, 2009, Ferster alleged, to conclude that "a majority of owners objected to the National Register listing of Blair Mountain Battlefield."

Ferster cited a list of 67 landowners that the SHPO released in October 2008 showing that "less than a majority of owners . . .  had submitted valid objections to the National Register listing of Blair Mountain Battlefield."

Ferster believes Shull is failing to recognize the legally established cut-off date in October 2008 for comments from property owners.

Cut-off dates for comments, Ferster wrote, "prevents land acquisition campaigns or partial submission of partial 'corrections' designed to change the baseline number of landowners . . . [to] skew calculation of owner objections."

The SHPO's October 2008 list, which met the required deadline, shows only 25 of 67 property owners objected to keeping Blair Mountain as a national historic site.

Shull's decision to remove Blair Mountain from the national historic site list is based on the SHPO's "recalculated" list of 57 landowners.

The March 2009 "revised list" reflects some changes in land ownership after the site was officially nominated as a national historic site on Nov. 24, 2008.

Altering the list after the deadline violates National Park Service regulations, Ferster wrote.

If Blair Mountain is not returned to the list of national historic sites, Ferster wrote, "mining companies . . . intend to proceed with mountaintop removal mining operations, substantially destroying this historic site."

Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.