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Big Visitor Numbers for Virginia National Parks

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The National Park Service says its Virginia attractions saw nearly 23 million visitors in 2014.

A report released Thursday by the park service shows that those visitors spent nearly $1 billion in the state, resulting in 14,753 jobs.

The 150th anniversary of the Civil War was marked at many national parks in Virginia, including Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Nationwide, the report says about 30 percent of visitor spending was for lodging, followed by food and beverages at about 20 percent.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.