Battlefields and sites of armed conflict are powerful reminders of the shared heritage of all Americans. To learn and heal from the past, the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (NPS ABPP) promotes the preservation and interpretation of these important places. (54 U.S.C. § 308101) NPS ABPP supports community-driven stewardship of historic resources through four grant programs: Preservation Planning, Battlefield Restoration, Battlefield Interpretation, and Battlefield Land Acquisition.
NPS ABPP’s Preservation Planning Grants support planning, interpreting, and protecting battlefields and sites associated with armed conflicts by providing financial assistance to eligible entities to realize their defined preservation outcomes at these sites of collective violence.
Successful applicants implement a wide range of eligible project activities and emphasize partnerships and collaboration among diverse stakeholders in all phases of their projects. Stakeholders and preservation partners can include, but are not limited to landowners, descendant communities, Indian Tribes, state and tribal historic preservation offices, and non-profit organizations. The NPS ABPP also encourages proposals that explore the full diversity of the American experience by including merit review criteria that allocate points for the identification and preservation of underrepresented sites and stories of armed conflict.
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, NPS ABPP encourages projects that promote and expand preservation as well as enhance our understanding of the origins of the United States. Special thematic priority will be given to applications that address the histories and legacies of those who experienced the armed conflicts that led to American independence (for example, the “Pueblo Revolt”, the American Revolutionary War, or “Nat Turner’s Rebellion”), and that preserve associated historic sites as a living part of community life and development.
Estimated Total Program Funding:
