WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in introducing the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act to conserve America’s historic battlefields. The bill would update the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) administrated by the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve historic sites of armed conflict and battlefields across the United States. Since the creation of the ABPP in 1996, it has preserved more than 35,000 acres in twenty states.
Upon co-sponsoring the bill, Sen. Cruz said, “Our country was built upon the backs of brave American soldiers who fought to secure the democratic liberties we hold today. Strengthening the American Battlefield Protection Program is necessary to preserve the land where these historic battles occurred to educate future generations of Americans about the rich history that shaped our country.”
Cosponsors include U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
BACKGROUND
The American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act would:
• Permit nonprofits and tribes to apply directly for ABPP grants. Currently, only state and local governments are eligible to apply for ABPP funding.
• Ensure Battlefield Restoration Grant funding is available for all battlefields. ABPP administers four grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Land Acquisition, Battlefield Restoration, and Battlefield Interpretation. Current law only allows land preserved by a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to be eligible for a Restoration Grant, which provides funds to return Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War landscapes back to day-of battle conditions in order to enhance the visitor experience. This provision would remove this requirement and allow properties that were not acquired by a Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to be eligible for Restoration Grant funding.
• Clarify eligibility of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites for Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG). Current law allows battlefields and sites associated with the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 to be eligible for ABPP funding. This change would clarify that only battlefields are eligible.
• Create a process for expanding and updating historic battlefield boundaries. Currently, only lands identified in NPS maps are eligible for ABPP Battlefield Land Acquisition funding, and any updates to these maps must be approved by Congress. This means that if there is new archaeology or research that shows the historic extent of a battlefield is different from original NPS maps, the land cannot be preserved under ABPP. The bill creates a better process for expanding and updating the historic boundaries of battlefields to make it easier for certain sites to receive ABPP funding.
Read the full text of the bill here or below.
