link to page 1 link to page 1 
October 7, 2019
American Battlefield Protection Program
The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP)
Authorization and Funding History
promotes the preservation of significant sites where historic
NPS first awarded Battlefield Planning grants for
battles were fought on American soil. Initiated by the
preservation projects at historic battlefields in 1992 under
Secretary of the Interior in 1991, the program was officially
the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. In 1996,
authorized by Congress in 1996 in the American Battlefield
Congress authorized the program under the American
Protection Act (P.L. 104-333; 54 U.S.C. §§308101-
Battlefield Protection Act. At that time, Congress
308103). The ABPP is administered by the National Park
authorized to be appropriated $3 million annually for a
Service (NPS) and comprises two distinct competitive grant
duration of 10 years. Congress permanently authorized
programs: the Battlefield Planning Grant Program and the
discretionary appropriations at $3 million annually for the
Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant Program.
program in 2009 (P.L. 111-11).
ABPP Planning Grant Program
Battlefield Planning grants are funded as part of NPS
Under the Battlefield Planning Grant Program, NPS awards
appropriations within the agency’s National Recreation and
grants to groups, institutions, organizations, governments
Preservation (NR&P) account. Appropriations for the
(local, state, and tribal), and federal entities sponsoring
program are split between two subaccounts within the
preservation projects at historic battlefields. The program
NR&P account: direct grant-making funds are provided
supports projects that include site identification and
under the “Cultural Programs” activity, and grant
documentation, planning and consensus building, and
administration funding is provided under a separate “Grants
educational programs, among others. Any battlefield or
Administration” activity. Typically, Congress has not
associated site on American soil is eligible for funding
funded the program at the full authorized level. Actual
under this grant program. Planning grants are not awarded
appropriations for the program have remained unchanged at
for land acquisition or capital improvements. Applicants for
just under $1.4 million annually since FY2015 (Figure 1).
the Battlefield Planning grants are encouraged but not
required to provide matching funds or in-kind services for
Recent Grant-Making Trends
these projects.
According to NPS, the program has helped to protect and
enhance battlefields through 620 projects in 42 states and
Figure 1. Appropriations for ABPP Planning Grant
territories. Individual project funding historically has
Program: FY2010-FY2019
ranged from $5,000 to more than $100,000. From FY2015
($ in thousands)
to FY2019, total annual grant funding averaged roughly
$1.16 million. New York received the largest amount of
program funding during this period, at just over $800,000
for 15 projects, followed by South Carolina and Virginia.
See Figure 2 for an overview of the 10 states that received
the largest amount of funding from FY2015 to FY2019.
Figure 2. FY2015-FY2019 Planning Grants: Ten Most-
Awarded States
(current $ in thousands)
Sources: CRS, with data from annual NPS Budget Justifications for
FY2012-FY2020. Figures were taken from the volume published two
years following the fiscal year in question (e.g., for FY2015, figures are
from FY2017 document). FY2019 figures reflect enacted totals.
Notes: Totals reflect appropriations for both grant-making purposes
and grant administration. Reported totals differ from the
appropriated totals, as obligations may carry over from year to year.
Current dollars have been converted to real 2019 dollars using the
GDP (Chained) Price Index column in Table 10.1 from the Office of
Management and Budget, Historical Tables, at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/historical-tables/.
Source: NPS, “Battlefield Planning Grants,” at
http://www.nps.gov/subjects/battlefields/battlefield-planning-
grants.htm.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 1 link to page 2 link to page 2 
American Battlefield Protection Program
Notes: Multi = Grants awarded for projects that cross multiple
appropriations have remained unchanged at $10 million
states. This includes $340,840 in grants awarded to Maryland-based
since FY2004. Congress provided funding at the full
organizations the American Battlefield Trust and the Civil War Trust
authorized level from FY2016 to FY2019 (Figure 3) but at
and a $150,659 grant awarded to Temple University in Pennsylvania.
less than that amount between FY2010 and FY2015.
ABPP Land Acquisition Grant Program
Recent Grant-Making Trends
Under the ABPP Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant
Since FY2015, ABPP has awarded competitive grants to 15
Program, grants are awarded to state and local governments
different states (Figure 4). The state that received the most
seeking fee simple acquisition of eligible battlefield land or
grant funding between FY2015 and FY2019 was Virginia,
the acquisition of permanent, protective interests
which has received over $18 million in grant funding since
(easements) in battlefield land. Eligible sites for Battlefield
FY2015. This is nearly four times the total funding awarded
Acquisition grants are limited to Revolutionary War, War
to the second-most-awarded state, Pennsylvania, which has
of 1812, or Civil War battlefield lands. Previously, eligible
received just under $5 million in ABPP Land Acquisition
battlefields were limited to Civil War battlefields listed in
funding during this time period.
the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission’s (CWSAC)
1993 Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields. In
Figure 4. Ten Most-Awarded States: FY2015-FY2019
2014, P.L. 113-291 amended the statute to include
(current $ in thousands)
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields
(specifically, those listed in the 2007 The Revolutionary
War and War of 1812 Historic Preservation Study). Grants
awarded through this program require at least a 50%
nonfederal cost share (54 U.S.C. §308103d).
Figure 3. Appropriations for ABPP Land Acquisition
Grant Program: FY2010-FY2019
($ in thousands)
Sources: FY2015-FY2017 totals are from NPS, “Battlefield Land
Acquisition Grants,” at nps.gov/abpp/grants/CWBLAGgrants.htm,
accessed on September 16, 2019. FY2018 and FY2019 totals were
provided to CRS by NPS.
Notes: *FY2019 figures reflect totals to date. Total obligations for
FY2019 have not been reported for the fiscal year for all states.
Issues for Congress
Certain issues related to the ABPP, including the
Sources: CRS, with data from annual NPS Budget Justifications for
authorization and level of appropriations, have been of
FY2000-FY2020. Figures were taken from the volume published two
ongoing interest to Congress. In 2013, NPS recommended
years following the fiscal year in question (e.g., for FY2015, figures are
that Congress increase the authorization level of
from FY2017 document). FY2019 figures reflect enacted totals.
appropriations for the Land Acquisition program to
Notes: Reported totals differ from the appropriated totals, as
$20 million annually, up from $10 million. This was in
obligations may carry over from year to year. Current dollars have
response to the addition of Revolutionary War and War of
been converted to real 2019 dollars (see note in Figure 1).
1812 battlefields as eligible sites to the program. Congress
has not adjusted the funding authorization level to date,
Authorization and Funding History
with some lawmakers citing deficit concerns for not
Funding for the Land Acquisition Grant Program comes
increasing authorized appropriations in line with the 2013
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF; 54
recommendations (Congressional Record, vol. 159, no. 46
U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.). Appropriations from the fund are
(2013), p. H1844). In the 116th Congress, the Preserving
America’
provided to NPS in its Land Acquisition and State
s Battlefields Act (S. 225 and H.R. 307) proposes
Assistance account, under the “Federal Land Acquisition”
to reauthorize the Land Acquisition program through
activity (although the grants are not for federal acquisition
FY2028 and to increase the annual appropriations
but for state and local acquisition). Congress first
authorization to $20 million. This figure includes up to
appropriated funding for this program in 1998 as part of the
$2 million per year for educational and interpretive
Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental
upgrades at sites. Because funding for the program has been
Appropriations Act, 1999 (P.L. 105-277, §131). In 2002,
derived from the LWCF, some lawmakers have linked their
Congress authorized appropriations for the program (P.L.
support for program extensions to support for permanent
107-359), providing up to $10 million for each of FY2004
reauthorization of the LWCF (Congressional Record, vol.
through FY2008. Appropriations have been reauthorized
164, no. 194 (2018), p. H9776).
multiple times, most recently in 2014 (P.L. 113-235 and
Mark K. DeSantis, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
P.L. 113-291). The program currently has authorized
appropriations through FY2021. Total authorized
IF11329
https://crsreports.congress.gov
American Battlefield Protection Program
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11329 · VERSION 2 · NEW