2023 Preservation Planning Grant Year in Review

2023 2023 Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant statistics

NPS Photo/Hannah Thomas

The impact of armed conflict is interwoven throughout American history and has shaped the collective memory of all Americans, by changing both the physical landscape and course of countless lives. To better understand that impact and help preserve our shared cultural heritage, the National Park Service administers four grant opportunities through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), that are focused on historic battlefields and associated sites of armed conflict.

ABPP’s broadest grant opportunity, Preservation Planning Grants (PPG), supports community-driven stewardship of historic battlefields and associated sites by providing financial assistance to eligible applicants. In 2023, ABPP attempted to increase awareness of the PPG opportunity by hosting multiple webinars and providing technical assistance to prospective applicants throughout the year. These efforts contributed to the program receiving 23 applications by the submission deadline.

Awarding over $1.2 million in PPG funds in 2023, ABPP supported 10 recipients – 43% of all eligible applicants. Recipient types varied from nonprofits (60%), to state governments (20%), to local governments (10%), to institutes of high education (10%). A larger percentage of grant funds also went to nonprofits this year, with a 42% increase from the previous cycle.

Their variety of projects focused interpretation plans (1), cultural resource studies (1), geographic survey/mapping (3), archeological survey (7), and preservation plans (1). These projects spanned across 13 states including Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wyoming. With an increase in locational diversity, 46% of projects are located west of the Mississippi River.

For more information on Preservation Planning Grants (PPG), applicant eligibility, and how this grant opportunity’s competitive merit review process works, reach out today by email at e-mail us or by phone at 202-513-7126.