ABOUT HISTORIC BATTLEFIELDS
The United States has fought numerous wars on its own soil: civil wars, wars for freedoms, wars for territory. Each war profoundly affected the history and development of this nation. Today, these military struggles are represented by the fields of battle that remain. Historic battlefields evoke strong emotions of patriotism and dissention, sacrifice and waste, valor and cowardice, and brutality and humanity that marked American warfare. Unfortunately, battlefields are rapidly disappearing as urban and suburban development engulfs the landscapes that dictated troop maneuvers and positions, and ultimately, the outcomes of battles, campaigns, and wars. Battlefields are also threatened with natural erosion, human neglect, and vandalism.

WHO WE ARE
The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil. The goals of the program are 1) to protect battlefields and sites associated with armed conflicts that influenced the course of our history, 2) to encourage and assist all Americans in planning for the preservation, management, and interpretation of these sites, and 3) to raise awareness of the importance of preserving battlefields and related sites for future generations. The ABPP focuses primarily on land use, cultural resource and site management planning, and public education.

American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 (16 USC 469k) - pdf format

PROGRAM PARTNERS
The ABPP encourages states, communities, non-profit organizations, and individual citizens to become the stewards of significant historic battlefields. The ABPP specifically enables communities near historic battlefields to develop local solutions for balanced preservation approaches for these sites. The ABPP's "planning and partnerships" approach to battlefield preservation allows for the protection of significant battle sites that currently cannot or should not be preserved in whole or in part by public ownership, but must nonetheless be saved in order for future generations of Americans to understand the importance of these irreplaceable sites.

HOW WE HELP
The ABPP awards small matching funds to organizations sponsoring planning and educational projects at historic battlefields. The ABPP's historians, preservation planners, and archeologists also provide professional assistance to owners of battlefield property, battlefield friends groups, and state and local governments interested in preserving historic battlefield land and sites. These public-private partnerships save American taxpayers millions of dollars that would be required for federal fee simple acquisition, management, and interpretation of these historic places were they in public ownership. Protected battlefields provide educational opportunities for the public, tourism opportunities for nearby communities, and much needed recreational open space and wildlife habitats in urban and suburban areas.

STATS
Since 1990, the ABPP has awarded approximately $7 million for 306 preservation and enhancement projects at more than 100 historic battle sites in 37 states and the District of Columbia.

The ABPP awards an average of $22,000 for individual battlefield preservation and enhancement projects. Most partners contribute matching funds or in-kind services.

RELATED HPS PROGRAMS
Cultural Resources Mapping and GIS Services
Historic Landscape Initiative
Historic Preservation Planning
Tribal Preservation Program

NPS PROGAMS
Archeology & Ethnography
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
Maritime Heritage Program
National Historic Landmarks Survey
National Register of Historic Places
Teaching With Historic Places

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
American Planning Association
The Civil War Preservation Trust
The Conservation Fund: Civil War Battlefield Campaign
Land Trust Alliance
National Archives and Records Administration
National Parks and Conservation Association
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Society for Historical Archaeology

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICES
The ABPP works with the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) to protect historic battlefields. Visit your state's website to find out more about SHPO programs and assistance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US
Write: American Battlefield Protection Program, Heritage Preservation Services, National Park Service, 1201 Eye Street, NW, 2255 Washington, DC 20005
Call: American Battlefield Protection Program at (202) 513-7270; fax (202) 371-1961
e-mail: nps_hps-info@nps.gov