The State of North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources received a $349,564 Project Grant award on September 24, 2025, under the Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants program (CFDA 15.928), administered by the Department of the Interior National Park Service. The grant funds the non-federal acquisition of a 34-acre parcel known as the Morris Tract located at Bentonville Battlefield in North Carolina. The American Battlefield Trust, serving as subrecipient, has acquired the property, which will be permanently preserved through a conservation easement held by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The primary deliverable under this award is the permanent preservation and protection of the Morris Tract through a Preservation Letter of Agreement that restricts development, use conversion, and ensures permanent public access to the historically significant Civil War battlefield land. This acquisition aligns with the Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants program's objective to protect threatened Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield properties. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match and carries an ultimate completion date of September 30, 2028.