Back-to-back public meetings this week left a federal parks panel with little doubt that there's broad support for designating the War of 1812 River Raisin battlefield in Monroe a national historic park.

"We're pretty impressed with the level of feedback and the amount of involvement here," said Ruth Heikkinen, head of a federal National Park Service panel studying the idea. "It's been a great couple of days."

The park service is doing a special resource study to determine if the battlefield - a former industrial site near E. Elm Ave. and N. Dixie Hwy. - is historically significant enough to warrant becoming a national interpretive park and, if so, how it should be managed.

The team gathered comments from the public Tuesday and Wednesday at Monroe County Community College's La-Z-Boy Center. More than 150 people attended the sessions over the two days.

The study group will start analyzing data in January and should have a draft recommendation ready for Congress sometime next fall with a formal recommendation by summer, 2010.

"The next time you'll really see a report from us is the draft study in about a year from now," she told those attending the Wednesday night meeting.

The battle between American troops and the British and their Native American allies in January, 1813, ended with an American surrender and subsequent massacre of prisoners and wounded.

It was the bloodiest battle of the war in Michigan and made "Remember the Raisin" a rallying cry that spurred U.S. troops.

Ms. Heikkinen said the panel will try to determine if the events of the battle and the site itself meet the criteria to become part of the park service, how it compares to other sites, the feasibility of using and owning the land, and various management alternatives.

"Whether or not it qualifies as a unit of the National Park Service, there are other alternatives to manage it," she explained.

Among the questions that would be considered would be whether the park service could efficiently administer the site in a cost-effective manner, she said.

Among those addressing the audience was Dale Phillips, superintendent of the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park in Vincennes, Ind., a member of the study team, said although re-enactor groups play a large role in the success of the Vincennes park, mock battles, taking of prisoners and selling of goods are restricted under park service management, which generally permit educational demonstrations.

"National Park Service regulations are a lot more strict than they would be should the site be under the control of a different governing body," he said.

But he said such re-enactments could be held on adjacent land under the auspices of a nonprofit group, as has been the case in Vincennes.

Dr. G. Michael Pratt of Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio, provided an update on the research done to prepare a National Historic Landmark nomination for the battlefield. Commissioned by the Monroe County Historical Society and aided by grants, his team of researchers is making the case that the River Raisin battle was of national significance, not just of local or regional importance.

"We think it's a slam-dunk" for a landmark designation, he told The Evening News. Such a designation would increase the chances for a national park designation.

Dr. William M. Anderson, director of the Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries, also advocated national park status.

"Our department has a great interest in the preservation and interpretation of the River Raisin battlefield, representing the largest land battle in Michigan's history and a significant event in the war on the western frontier in 1813," he said. "The prospect of this battlefield being part of the National Park System is a big deal for Monroe County, Michigan and important piece of our country's story of the land battles during the War of 1812."

He added that during the state's War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission meeting Monday, he was asked to invite the cultural leaders of Ontario, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky to consider a regional coalition aimed at creating and marketing a major destination attraction focused on the War of 1812.

"Monroe County has the potential to be a catalytic building block for a strong regional visitor destination," he said.

And state Sen. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe, said the Senate next week will take up a resolution to urge Congress to pass the River Raisin National Battlefield Act, which essentially would declare the Monroe site a national battlefield.

"Creation of this park is long overdue," he said. "We believe we're going to make something happen here in Monroe that does help to fulfill that dream."

Ms. Heikkinen said after her bosses were grilled about the matter during Congressional hearings earlier this year, they asked her: "Can't you speed this up?"

She said the expedited process means that there would be a little less opportunity for public feedback because the time frame for making a recommendation has shortened.

"This thing obviously has some momentum," she said.