What We Do

The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields and sites of armed conflict on American soil. ABPP's four grant programs empower our partners nationwide to accomplish their preservation goals in a variety of ways:

  • Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants help state and local governments acquire Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield land.
  • Battlefield Interpretation Grants assist recipients in their efforts to modernize and enhance education and interpretation at Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefields.
  • Battlefield Restoration Grants provide funds to return Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War landscapes back to day-of battle conditions.

  • Preservation Planning Grants fund projects related to planning, interpeting and protecting any battlefield or site associated with armed conflict on American soil. They are not limited to the three wars above.

Battlefield preservation enables current and future generations to better understand the connection between military conflicts and important social and political changes that occurred in American history. Saving the site of every military conflict that occurred on American soil is impractical. However, ABPP is committed to helping states and local communities preserve their most important sites of armed conflict for future generations.


Preservation Through Partnerships


ABPP works with private landowners, battlefield friends groups, interested community groups, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, local, state, and Tribal governments and Federal agencies. Battlefields are rapidly disappearing as urban and suburban development engulfs the landscape. ABPP's "planning and partnerships" approach to battlefield preservation allows for the protection of significant battlefields that cannot always be preserved through public ownership. These public-private partnerships save American taxpayers millions of dollars that would be required for federal acquisition, oversight, and interpretation of battlefields.

Three of ABPP's four grant programs are funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which reinvests revenue from offshore oil and natural gas leasing to help strengthen local conservation and recreation opportunities across the nation.

Fast Facts

  • ABPP was initially created by the Secretary of the Interior in 1991.
  • In 1996 Congress signed into law the American Battlefield Protection Act, which officially authorized ABPP.
  • ABPP, in conjunction with its partners, has surveyed more than 650 battlefields in 16 wars.
  • Since 1992, ABPP has awarded over 513 Battlefield Preservation Planning Grants, helping to protect more than 100 battlefields in 42 states and territories.
  • Since 1998, ABPP's Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants have helped preserve land at 110 Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefields in 19 states, totalling over 30,480 acres. In addition to preserving these historic sites, the land serves as important natural habitats and areas for recreation.

Last updated: May 23, 2022

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