Laws & Policies

Superintendent's Compendium

The Superintendent’s Compendium of Designations, Closures, Permit Requirements and Other Restrictions Imposed Under Discretionary Authority. In the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), superintendents of each unit in the National Park System have the option to develop specific designations, closures, permit requirements, and other restrictions to address unique management needs in their park unit. Within the CFR, superintendents are given the authority to amend, modify, relax, or make more stringent certain regulations. These park-specific regulations are incorporated into a document called the Superintendent's Compendium and are an extension of the CFR. These publications help direct the park's management efforts to best serve the mission of the National Park Service and the needs of visitors.

Firearms in National Parks

Federal law allows people who can legally possess firearms under applicable federal, state, and local laws, to legally possess firearms in Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument. Hunting and the discharge of firearms are prohibited in the park.

It is your responsibility to understand and comply with all applicable state, local, and federal firearms laws before entering the park.

Federal law prohibits firearms in certain facilities in this park (such as visitor centers and government offices): those places are marked with signs at all public entrances.
Read more about firearms in national parks.

Unmanned Aircraft

Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument is prohibited except as approved in writing by the superintendent.
Read more about unmanned aircrafts in national parks.

National Park Service

• The Organic Act of 1916: Created the National Park Service.
• Key Legislative Guidance: Acts that include the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
• Executive Orders: Presidential orders directly related to the management of America's public lands.
• Directors' Orders: Directives from the head of the National Park Service.
• National Park Service Management Policies: Tools to implement legislative acts and orders by the entire National Park Service system.
• Code of Federal Regulations: General and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

Mill Springs Battlefield Enabling Legislation

The president signed the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Dingell Act) on March 12, 2019. The Act authorized establishment of the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument in Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future generations: (A) the nationally significant historic resources of the Mill Springs Battlefield; and (B) the role of the Mill Springs Battlefield in the Civil War. The NPS acquired the Mill Springs Battlefield Visitor Center and Zollicoffer Park in September, 2020, establishing the Monument as an NPS unit.