Senate Passes Crucial Federal Battlefield Preservation Initiatives

(Washington, D.C.) — On Thursday, the U.S. Senate passed the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act (H.R. 3448), a bipartisan reform bill sponsored by 67 Senators and Members of Congress. The bill strengthens the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), a public-private initiative administered by the National Park Service that encourages preservation of historic battlefields. The legislation, passed as part of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE Act - H.R. 6492), refines an already successful grant program, going even further to ensure the preservation, restoration and interpretation of our nation’s most hallowed battlegrounds. 

“The ABPP Enhancement Act includes important reforms that will make battlefield preservation efforts throughout the nation faster and more efficient,” remarked Trust President David N. Duncan. “With the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution beginning in 2025, there is no better time to enact this important legislation to safeguard these historic treasures for future generations.” 

Duncan was also quick to thank the lawmakers and committee chairs who championed the bill: “We applaud bill sponsors U.S. Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), along with House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), for their hard work on behalf of this successful program.” 

Since the ABPP land acquisition grant program was first funded in 1999, its matching grant awards have been used to protect more than 35,000 acres of hallowed ground in 20 states — including sites as diverse as the Revolutionary War battlefields of Bennington, N.Y., and Kettle Creek, Ga., and the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg, Pa. and Glorieta Pass, N.M.  Grants from the program compensate willing sellers for acquisition of the land. 

“From Yorktown to Appomattox to the Pentagon, you can’t map America’s military history without Virginia,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m glad to have worked with Senator Hyde-Smith to secure the Senate passage of our legislation to bolster the American Battlefield Protection Program because preserving these sites is crucial to ensuring that Americans can visit them and learn about our country’s history. I urge President Biden to sign it.” 

This legislation strengthens the ABPP through several practical modifications: (1) allows non-profits and tribes to directly apply for ABPP grants, in addition to state and local governments; (2) expands eligibility of Battlefield Restoration Grants so they may be used to restore battlefield lands protected by state, local and tribal governments; (3) clarifies eligibility of identified Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefield lands for acquisition matching grants; and (4) creates a process for utilizing recent archaeological findings, technological advancements and authoritative research to determine the historic scope of battlefields, and help preserve battlefield lands currently considered ineligible for funding. 

“Mississippi is home to some of our nation’s most significant and historic battlefields, and this legislation will make it easier to protect these hallowed grounds for future generations,” Sen. Hyde-Smith said.  “Senator Kaine and I recognized that the American Battlefield Protection Program could be more applied to protect the sites where so many pivotal moments of American history took place.  I look forward to this legislation becoming law.” 

The House version of the bill was first introduced in May 2023 by Reps. Stefanik and Connolly, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Battlefield Caucus. It was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives in November 2023, before it was incorporated into the EXPLORE Act, which was also unanimously passed by the House in April 2024. The House Committee on Natural Resources, chaired by Rep. Westerman, and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, chaired by Sen. Manchin, were instrumental in the passage of the ABPP Enhancement Act.  

“I am proud to have my legislation pass the Senate with bipartisan support, now one step closer to becoming law. My American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act will ensure our many battlefields in Upstate New York, the North Country, and across our nation are preserved for generations to come,” said Rep. Stefanik. 

“I was proud to join Congresswoman Stefanik to introduce this important legislation and I am thrilled to see it pass the Senate,” said Rep. Connolly. “This bill builds on the hugely successful American Battlefield Protection Program and will allow us to better protect the history and legacy of battlefields in Virginia and across the country.” 

“There is still much work to be done, but the ABPP Enhancement Act ensures that our nation's hallowed grounds, and their power of place, will be preserved for generations to come,” added Trust President David Duncan. 

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving the nation’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected nearly 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War, representing more than 160 sites in 25 states. Its 350,000 members and supporters believe in the power of place and the continued relevance of history as a means to fully understand our rights and responsibilities as Americans. Learn more at www.battlefields.org. 

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