[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 65 (Thursday, May 9, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Heinrich):
  S. 916. A bill to authorize the acquisition and protection of 
nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the 
Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield 
Protection Program; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, the battlefields on American soil contain 
our national history and commemorate the events that made our nation 
what it is today. Too many of these sites are open to urban development 
that could 1eave no trace of the sacrifices made there.
  That is why I am pleased to introduce the American Battlefield 
Protection Program Amendments Act, which reauthorizes Federal 
competitive matching grants to protect these historic lands. I was 
proud to have supported this program at the State level when I was 
Governor of Virginia, and I am proud to be joined on this bipartisan 
legislation by my colleague, Senator Thad Cochran from Mississippi. Our 
States hosted key battles of the Civil War, and we have led the Nation 
in preserving the land on which these defining battles were fought.
  This bill extends the authorization for the American Battlefield 
Protection Program for 5 years at the current funding level and adds 
sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 to the program's 
eligibility. These grants have a 1/1 federal/non-federal match, which 
is often exceeded on the non-federal side by private contributions from 
people interested in American history.
  This program is strictly voluntary. The bill specifies that land will 
be acquired only from willing sellers and only at fair market value. It 
also authorizes funding solely for land acquisition and does not incur 
development or maintenance costs for the National Park Service.
  It would be worth protecting these battlefields for the historic 
value alone, but these activities also have economic value. Battlefield 
tourists do not simply pass through a region. They pay for guided 
tours. They stay in hotels and bed and breakfasts. They dine at local 
restaurants. They browse the shops on town streets. According to a 
study by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, Civil War tourists in 
Virginia stay twice as long and spend double the money of the average 
tourist. Of out-of-town visitors interviewed at 20 battlefields, two-
thirds were visiting the area specifically to see the battlefield, and 
three-quarters said they would visit other Civil War sites while in the 
area.
  Virginia is a state where history is all around us, and to understand 
this history is to understand ourselves as Americans. This effort 
brings together federal, state, and private sector supporters to ensure 
that future generations will be able to visit these sites and 
appreciate the historic deeds that transpired on this hallowed ground.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to join the junior Senator 
from Virginia in introducing the American Battlefield Protection 
Program Amendments Act. I doubt there has been a more defining period 
in this country's history than the Civil War. The scars left by that 
conflict were deep and slow to heal. This year marks the 150th 
anniversary of the first major Civil War battle in the western theater 
and with Memorial Day approaching, the preservation of historic 
battlefields reminds Americans of those who have fought and died for 
freedom. Stressing preservation, commemoration, and education, the 
Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, for almost 15 years, has 
partnered with neighboring communities to promote resource protection 
and heritage tourism. By bringing together local, State, and national 
stakeholders to preserve America's most historically significant Civil 
War battlefields, the program has built a consensus to protect 19,000 
acres of hallowed ground in 16 states. In my state, more than 3,300 
acres of related Civil War battles have been protected. Among the many 
other battlefields that have benefited from this program are: Antietam, 
Maryland; Averasboro, North Carolina; Chancellorsville, Virginia; 
Chattanooga, Tennessee; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Harpers Ferry, West 
Virginia; Mill Springs, Kentucky; and Prairie Grove, Arkansas. I am 
pleased that this legislation will extend program eligibility to 
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields. This is an appropriate 
time for the Congress to embrace this legislation and to preserve and 
discover our history, our culture and our individual stories. By 
highlighting the history and cultural significance of these battle 
sites, we can help maintain our sense of place as Americans. With it, 
we can be more aware of our history and reflect upon how we have become 
who we are as individuals and who we are collectively as Americans. It 
is an investment in the preservation of our history and culture, which 
is well spent.
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