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Network to Freedom Application - Page title 'I always tole God, I'm gwine to hole stiddy on to you, an' you've got to see me trou [through].' - Harriet Tubman, to fugitives
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Application Procedure

First, complete the on-line pre-registration form. At the end of this easy 5-step process you will be asked to print out your pre-registration information and you will be able to download a PDF formatted application kit. Follow the instructions for completion outlined in the kit and mail it, with all necessary supporting materials, to the National Park Service Underground Railroad Regional Coordinator who represents the region that includes your state. Applicants are encouraged to consult with their regional coordinators before and during the application process.

Step 1 of 5: To begin the application process, please select your state from the pull-down menu



Review, deadlines and notices

New applications will be reviewed every six months. The deadlines for receiving applications are January 15 and July 15. Applications must be postmarked no later than the deadline date to be eligible for review in that round. Applications postmarked after the deadline will be included in the next round of review. There are no exceptions.

Within 30 days after the submission deadline, Regional Coordinators will review the applications to determine if they include all the required materials. The Regional Coordinator may contact the applicant before the deadline date or shortly afterwards for clarification or amplification of unclear points in the application. If the application is incomplete or requires major revisions, the application will be returned to the applicant with explanations and recommendations from the Regional Coordinator. Revised applications can be resubmitted for consideration in the next round of review six months later.

Notices of completed applications received by the Network to Freedom Program will appear on the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom Web Page and Newsletter. The notice will include the element’s title, city, state, and abstract, and will be on public review for 30 days. The public is encouraged to provide input during the application and review process.

Approval process

After the 30-day public review period, the Regional Coordinator will review comments and identify applications that a) have generated an unusual amount of debate, b) may not meet all the criteria for inclusion, or c) have created a situation in which the Regional Coordinator is in disagreement with the majority of the public comments. The Regional Coordinator can give preliminary approval to straightforward, non-controversial applications.

Regional Coordinators gather in committee approximately 60 days after the submission deadline to review applications for inclusion in the Network. Review meetings are open to the public and the public is encouraged to attend. Agendas and locations of review meetings will be posted a reasonable time in advance on the Network to Freedom Web Page and available by request in hard copy.

In the review meetings, the Regional Coordinator is allotted no more than five minutes to present an application to the committee, identify the site, program, or facility nominated, and describe its significance and association to the Underground Railroad, its fulfillment of the criteria, and notable public comments. A discussion period of five minutes is allowed and then the committee votes either to recommend inclusion or to extend the period of discussion.

Committee-approved applications will be included in the Network and NPS will then notify the applicant. Following approval for inclusion, the Network to Freedom Program will notify the applicant’s congressional delegation of the action. Letters of approval, press releases, and congressional notification will bear the following statement:

"The National Park Service has evaluated this [site, facility, or program] as making a significant contribution to the understanding of the Underground Railroad in American history and it meets the requirements for inclusion in the Network to Freedom."

Following receipt of the letter of approval, the applicant will receive permission to use the Network to Freedom logo and guidelines for its use.

Applications that are not approved for inclusion will be returned to the applicant. If the National Park Service and the applicant agree, then the element may be identified in the Network to Freedom Web Page as an additional program resource that is not specifically in the Network but that has been reviewed and found to have a relation to the Underground Railroad.

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