Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s bill the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act co-led with Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) passed on the House Floor. This bipartisan legislation makes improvements to the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) which helps update and preserve battlefields like Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Ann in NY-21.
“I am proud to see my legislation pass the House today with bipartisan support. New York’s 21st Congressional District is the cradle of the American Revolution and home to Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Ann, and the Bennington Battlefield. It is as much our patriotic duty to preserve these lands as it is to defend the freedoms and liberty earned on these fields,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. “As co-chair of the Congressional Battlefield Caucus, I will always prioritize the preservation of the battlefields found in Upstate New York, the North Country, and throughout our nation.”
“As co-chair of the American Battlefields Caucus, I was proud to join Rep. Stefanik to introduce this important legislation and I am thrilled to see it pass the House today,” said Congressman Gerry Connolly. “This bill builds on the hugely successful American Battlefield Protection Program and will allow us to better protect the history and legacy of battlefields in Virginia and across the country.”
“Protecting our historical battlegrounds is essential to honoring those who perished on these hallowed grounds and remembering the importance of these sites in our history," said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman. "H.R. 3448 is a commonsense piece of legislation that will conserve pieces of our history and give Americans opportunities to both honor and learn about consequential events in our country’s storied history for generations. I thank Representative Stefanik for introducing this bill and working with me to pass it through the committee and House. I hope to see it signed into law soon.”
"As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding, we must seek out fitting ways to mark those events," said American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan. "Amid all the ways that communities will remember, battlefield preservation is uniquely fitting because it will last long beyond this anniversary and long beyond our own lifetimes. When our children and grandchildren gather to mark the tricentennial, they will be able to do so more readily because of places set aside, restored and interpreted thanks to the efficiencies created in the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act."
“Fort Ticonderoga is proud to support the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act and applauds Congresswoman Stefanik for her leadership in supporting important historic preservation programs,” stated Beth L. Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO. “The American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act will ensure that this grant program is nimble and successful, maximizing its potential as a critical means of battlefield preservation. As our nation approaches our national 250th commemoration of the American Revolution, we must take this opportunity to expand resources, mobilize partnerships, and ensure that our nation’s hallowed grounds are preserved for posterity.”
H.R. 3448, the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, would:
- Allow non-profits and tribes to apply for ABPP grants directly instead of through a state or local government sponsor.
- Allow ABPP’s restoration grants to be used on priority battlefields in addition to land that has been preserved using program funding.
- Clarify eligibility of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites for Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants.
- Create a process for expanding and updating battlefield boundaries.
In September, the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act passed unanimously out of the Committee on Natural Resources. In July, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik invited Beth Hill, the President and CEO of the Fort Ticonderoga Association, to testify before the Natural Resources Committee on the benefits of the legislation. In March, Congresswoman Stefanik was awarded the National Preservation Leadership Award from the American Battlefield Trust for her leadership on battlefield preservation.
