On Tuesday, December 17, President George W. Bush signed into law the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002. The bill authorizes $50 million for the protection of historic Civil War battlefields outside the National Park Service. "The enactment of this legislation marks an important turning point in the fight to save Civil War battlefields," remarked Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) President James Lighthizer. "This law will help preserve thousands of hallowed battlegrounds that would have otherwise been lost to sprawl." The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act officially authorizes a matching grant program funded by Congress in the fiscal years 1999 and 2002. Since its creation, the program has helped protect nearly 8,000 acres of historic battlefield land in 12 states. In the past year alone, the program has helped save historic property at Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Antietam, Maryland; Chancellorsville, Virginia; and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. CWPT played a key role in getting the legislation enacted. The organization worked closely with Congressmen Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and George Radanovich (R-Calif.); Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)and James Jeffords (I-Vt.); and 15 other cosponsors of the bill. CWPT wishes to thank these lawmakers for their dedication to protecting America's Civil War heritage. A copy of the White House news release is listed below. THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON Office of Media Affairs For Immediate Release December 17, 2002 PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS LEGISLATION TO PRESERVE CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELDS WASHINGTON, DC - President George W. Bush today signed a number of bills including, H.R. 5125, Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2002. This bill preserves and protects nationally significant Civil War battlefields through conservation easements and fee-simple purchases of those battlefields from willing sellers. Also, it creates partnerships among State and local governments, regional entities, and the private sector to preserve, conserve and enhance nationally significant Civil War battlefields. Back to Table of Contents -- ACW Newsletter # 4 Back to ACW Newsletter List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2003 by Marc Shefelton. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com