Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Battlefield Acquisition and Protection

The Department of the Interior National Park Service administers the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Battlefield Acquisition and Protection program (CFDA 15.936), which funds conservation easement and land acquisition to protect eligible Civil War battlefields within the National Historic District through the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The most recent grant award was disbursed on October 1, 2009—17 years ago—and no recent grant opportunities are currently posted or have been posted in the intervening years.

Program activity has been minimal. Two Project Grants totaling $257 thousand in federal dollars were awarded in 2009 and appear to represent the entire funding history captured in the grant database. The awards supported conservation easement acquisitions at specific battlefield sites: the Diehl Easement at Cross Keys Battlefield ($546,203 obligated total, including non-federal match) and the Bly Easement at Fishers Hill Battlefield ($314,000 obligated total). Recipients committed an additional $603 thousand in non-federal match, bringing combined obligated value to $860 thousand across the two awards.

All funding has flowed exclusively from the National Park Service. Awards have taken the form of Project Grants exclusively. Award magnitudes in the two transactions ranged from approximately $314 thousand to $546 thousand in total obligated value per award.

This program appears inactive for federal grant purposes. The 17-year gap since the last award, the absence of posted grant opportunities or solicitations in the current grants marketplace, and the minimal historical award volume suggest that pursuit of new funding under this Assistance Listing carries substantial execution risk. Applicants considering this program should clarify current funding intent and application status directly with the National Park Service before investing proposal development resources.