American Battlefield Protection Program

The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) is a United States federal government program created by the Secretary of the Interior in 1991, with the aim of preserving historic battlefields in the United States. In 1996, Congress 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.^[1]

The ABPP promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil (see List of wars involving the United States and List of attacks on U.S. territory). 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.^[2] The American Battlefield Protection Program administers three separate grant programs, awarding Battlefield Preservation Planning Grants, Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants, and Battlefield Interpretation Grants.