Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant- American Battlefield Protection Program | P17AS00825

Opportunity Information: Apply for P17AS00825

The Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant (BLAG), administered by the National Park Service (NPS) through the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP), is a competitive grant opportunity designed to help protect historically significant battlefields from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Funding comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and is intended to support state and local government efforts to acquire and permanently preserve threatened battlefield land. The core purpose of the program is straightforward: prevent the loss of important historic landscapes by helping communities secure land before it is altered or developed in ways that would compromise its historical integrity.

Eligible applicants are government entities at the state and local level, specifically state governments, county governments, and city or township governments. The grant supports acquisition-focused projects rather than planning or interpretation, meaning the money is used to secure ownership or legal protection of battlefield parcels. Under this program, funds may be used to purchase land in fee simple (full ownership) or to acquire permanent protective interests in land, such as conservation easements, that restrict future development and help ensure long-term preservation while potentially allowing the land to remain in private hands under enforceable protections.

A key requirement of BLAG is the dollar-for-dollar non-federal match. In practice, this means the applicant must provide an equal amount of non-federal funding to match the federal award. This matching structure is meant to leverage federal investment and demonstrate strong local or state commitment, often drawing on state appropriations, local funds, private donations routed through eligible mechanisms, or other non-federal sources to complete the project budget.

To qualify, the battlefield land must be associated with sites included in the program-recognized reference reports. For Civil War battlefields, eligible sites are those listed in the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) 1993 Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. For Revolutionary War and War of 1812 sites, eligibility is tied to the 2007 Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States. This requirement anchors the program in established national battlefield assessments and helps ensure funds go to sites already identified as historically significant.

As a discretionary grant program, BLAG awards are made through a competitive process rather than by formula. The opportunity listed an award ceiling of up to $2,000,000 per award and anticipated roughly 30 awards. The funding opportunity number is P17AS00825, and it is classified under CFDA 15.928. The overall activity areas associated with the program include community development, environment, humanities, natural resources, and regional development, reflecting how battlefield preservation often overlaps with open-space protection, cultural heritage conservation, and local economic and tourism interests tied to historic landscapes. The original closing date shown for this listing was 2020-12-31, indicating the posted window for applications under that specific announcement.

• The National Park Service in the community development, environment, humanities, natural resources, other, regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant- American Battlefield Protection Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.928.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-12-31. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments.

Apply for P17AS00825

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