GETTYSBURG, Pa. — The National Park Service (NPS) announced this week that it has awarded $3,290,919.25 in Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) to protect 119.98 acres, including the battlefield in Gettysburg.
The other protected land is on battlefields located within Tennessee and Virginia, NPS said in a press release.
State and local governments spearhead the projects funded by ABPP grants to protect significant battlefield landscapes that are vital to the shared history of their communities and the nation, according to NPS.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation, makes these awards possible.
“These awards expand the local stewardship efforts of state and local governments with their preservation partners to increase protection of the irreplaceable historic and cultural landscapes in their communities,” stated NPS Director Chuck Sams.
The ABPP awards are distributed to:
City of Franklin ($1,980,050.00) for the preservation of 0.87 acres at Franklin Battlefield in Williamson County, Tennessee.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission ($756,650.25) for preservation of 0.63 acres at Gettysburg Battlefield in Adams County.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($44,448.00) for the preservation of 8 acres at Dinwiddie Courthouse Battlefield in Dinwiddie County, Virginia.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($184,156.00) for the preservation of 11.78 acres at Seven Pines Battlefield in Henrico County, Virginia.
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation ($325,615.00) for the preservation of 98.7 acres at Trevilian Station Battlefield in Louisa County, Virginia.
The NPS ABPP’s Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants empower preservation partners nationwide to acquire and preserve threatened battlefields on American soil.
In addition, the program administers three other grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Interpretation and Battlefield Restoration Grants.
Financial and technical assistance support sustainable, community-driven stewardship of natural and historic resources at the state, Tribal and local levels.
