The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) is a

United States federal government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 ...

program created by the

Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to: * Secretary of the Interior (Mexico) * Interior Secretary of Pakistan * Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) * United States Secretary of the Interior See also

*Interior ministry ...

in 1991, with the aim of preserving historic battlefields in the United States. In 1996,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

signed into law the American Battlefield Protection Act, which officially authorized the ABPP. The program operates under the American Battlefield Protection Program Authorization as of 2009. The ABPP promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil (see

List of wars involving the United States This is a list of wars and rebellions involving the United States of America. Currently, there are 107 wars on this list, 3 of which are ongoing. : : : : 18th-century wars 19th-century wars 20th-century wars 21st-century wars ...

and

List of attacks on U.S. territory Incorporated *American Revolutionary War, 1776–1780 (Perpetrator: Great Britain) *War of 1812, 1812–1815 (Perpetrator: United Kingdom, British Canada) *Thornton Affair, April 26, 1846 (Perpetrator: Second Federal Republic of Mexico) *Mexic ...

). 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. The American Battlefield Protection Program administers three separat
grant programs
awarding Battlefield Preservation Planning Grants, Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants, and Battlefield Interpretation Grants.

Battlefield Preservation Studies

At the direction of Congress the American Battlefield Protection Program has periodically identified, surveyed, and assessed the preservation needs at significant sites associated with the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the War of 1812. In addition to these studies, the ABPP has eithe

the identification, survey, and assessment of many other battles associated with additional wars ranging from 16th-century contact encounters to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

actions in the Pacific.

State by State Updates to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report (2011)

Congress authorized th
Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002
tasking the American Battlefield Protection Program with producing an update to th

Congress required that the update address 1)preservation activities carried out at the battlefields since 1993 2) changes in the condition of the battlefields since 1993 and 3)any other relevant developments relating to the battlefields since 1993. The American Battlefield Protection Program produce

The purpose of the reports are to presents information about Civil War battlefields for use by Congress, federal, state, and local government agencies, landowners, and other interest groups to enable them to act quickly and proactively to preserve and protect nationally significant Civil War battlefields; and to create partnerships among state and local governments, regional entities, and the private sector to preserve, conserve, and enhance nationally significant Civil War battlefields.

Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Study (2007)

Congress authorized th
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Historic Preservation Study
in 1996 because many historic sites of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

were at risk from rapid urban or suburban development. The goals of the study were 1) to gather current information about the significance of, current condition of, and threats to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites and 2) to present preservation and interpretation alternatives for the sites. The American Battlefield Protection Program identified and documented 677 significant places associated with the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. The 200
Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States
presented information about at-risk Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields and associated properties for consideration by Federal, State, tribal, municipal, non-profit, and private entities.

Mexican American War Battlefields (2004)

The National Park Service
Cultural Resources Geographical Information System Facility
(CRGIS) undertook, on behalf of the American Battlefield Protection Program, a study of the significant

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

battlefields in the United States. CRGIS identified thirteen battlefields in California, New Mexico, and Texas. Each battlefield was documented, battlefield boundaries were drawn, and each site was assessed for threats, integrity, and preservation needs. CRGIS presented maps and final assessments for each battlefield to the American Battlefield Protection Program in 2004.

Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields (1993)

Congress established th
Civil War Sites Advisory Commission
in 1990 to identify significant Civil War sites, determine their condition, assess threats to their integrity, and offer alternatives for their preservation and interpretation. Because of limited time and resources, the Commission concentrated on battlefields as the central focus of the Civil War, and of many contemporary historic preservation decisions. The Commission identifie

as the principal battles of the war and classified them according to their historic significance. The battlefields were surveyed and assessed for landscape integrity, threats, and preservation needs.

was presented to Congress in 1993. The Commission sunset in 1993, however, the American Battlefield Protection Program continues to implement parts of the Commission's mission and recommendations.

Shenandoah Valley Study (1992)

In 1990 Congres
authorized a study
of Civil War sites in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The study was to accomplish four tasks: identify significant Civil War sites and determine their condition, establish their relative importance, assess short and long term threats to their integrity, and provide alternatives for their preservation and interpretation by Federal, State, and local governments, or by other public or private entities. The study defined the Shenandoah Valley as comprising eight Virginia counties—Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren. Fifteen battle events of major significance were identified and documented an

detailing each battlefields' landscape integrity, risk, and preservation needs was presented to Congress in 1992.

Definitions

In order to focus closely on battlefield lands and their associated properties, the American Battlefield Protection Program has developed program specific definitions for both property types that help them meet their stated mission of promoting battlefield preservation.American Battlefield Protection Program definitions, http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/grants/planninggrants.htm (accessed July 3, 2013). The definitions are: :• Battlefield Land - Sites where armed conflict, fighting, or warfare occurred between two opposing military organizations or forces recognized as such by their respective cultures (not civil unrest). :• Associated Sites - Sites occupied before, during, or after a battle at which events occurred that had a direct influence on the tactical development of the battle or the outcome of the battle. A site must be associated with a battle in order to be considered an Associated Site.

References

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External links

National Park Service