American Battlefield Trust Lauds Swift Consideration By House Natural Resources Committee for Bill to Extend Federal Land Preservation Grant Program

(Washington, D.C.) — Legislation to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence advanced in Congress this week, as the House Natural Resources Committee voted to send H.R.7618 to the full House for consideration. The bill would extend the American Battlefield Protection Program, a grant program that has successfully protected battlefields from the American Revolution and other conflicts that shaped the nation.

“The swift timeline on which Congress is considering reauthorization and refinement of this important program testifies to historic preservation’s unique tangibility as a meaningful legacy of the nation’s Semiquincentennial anniversary,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust. “We are grateful to Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and ranking member Jared Huffman (D-CA) for their keen grasp of the program’s unique attributes, and look forward to the measure’s consideration and passage by the House of Representatives.”  

The bill would reauthorize three American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) grant programs through 2036, designating $20 million annually and lowering barriers to participation by local and regional nonprofits and battlefield park friends groups. Chief among the trio is the competitively awarded Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG), through which $250 million in federal funding has been leveraged against state and local grants and private dollars to protect nearly 40,000 acres of historic open space in 20 states.    

BLAG grants facilitate the protection of land outside NPS boundaries at high priority battlefields, currently limited to the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War. The bill creates the opportunity for the Trust, as a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, to study expanding eligibility to include sites related to the French and Indian War and the Mexican-American War.  

The bill was introduced in late February by U.S. Representatives Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and Seth Magaziner (D-RI), co-chairs of the Congressional Battlefields Caucus; the Senate companion bill, S.3524, was introduced in December 2025 by U.S. Senators Dave McCormick (R-PA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

“With less than three months away from the 250th birthday of our great nation, honoring those that came before us is more important than ever,” said Rep. Kiggans. My legislation strengthens the American Battlefield Protection Program and equips state and local partners with the tools they need to preserve the hallowed ground where Americans fought to secure the freedoms we enjoy today.”

“We have a responsibility to preserve and pass on the sites where our democracy and freedom were won,” said Rep. Magaziner. “These battlefields are sacred grounds and a direct link to the bravery that shaped our nation. I am proud to have advanced this legislation alongside Rep. Kiggans to ensure future generations can learn from, honor, and experience these historic sites.”

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 160 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

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