Deborah Fitts

- (August 2007) WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT ) is putting on a full-court press to convince Congress to re-fund a federal program that has been used to save 14,000 battlefield acres in 15 states.

The Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program (CWBPP) was started in 1999. The funds, authorized at as much as $10 million a year, may be spent only on battlefield land outside of National Park Service boundaries.

Since its inception, however, CWBPP has received average funding of only $3.6 million a year. House members supporting full funding said in a letter to appropriations leaders, "Full federal funding at the authorized level is needed to adequately protect these sites and preserve our history for future generations."

CWPT spokesman Jim Campi explained the Trust's new initiative.

"With the new Congress coming in we felt the time was right to give it an extra push this year and request full funding." He noted that the Bush Administration budget called for $4 million.

Campi said the funding level may be set before the August recess, "but we may not hear till September." He said CWPT was "optimistic" that the amount would be hiked. Meanwhile, CWBPP itself is due to expire this year, and the Trust is working to have it reauthorized.

"We feel very upbeat about that," Campi said. "It's received broad support on both sides of the aisle."

Although CWPT has told Congress that the nonprofit stands ready to utilize all the money authorized, Campi explained that the statement is simply intended to assure the legislators that all the money will be spent. Each CWBPP grant requires a one-to-one match by the state, local government or nonprofit that receives the money.

"CWPT has to compete for the money like everyone else," Campi said.

New Virginia senator Jim Webb (D), a former marine and Vietnam veteran, has worked to support CWPTs initiative . Campi met with Webb in February after learning that he had an interest in military history. Also, Campi said, "Any Virginia senator is a key senator for us."

Webb had at least one Civil War ancestor, William Jewell, who was wounded at Cedar Mountain and Antietam before being killed at Chancellorsville.

In remarks entered into the Congressional Record on April 18, Webb said the issue of preserving Civil War battlefields "has held a special place in my heart for many years." But for CWBPP, "we would have lost key sites from such national shrines as Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Harpers Ferry, Bentonville, Mansfield and Champion Hill. Their names still haunt us to this day."

Webb added that the need to protect Civil War battlefields "is far too great for any one well-intentioned federal program. That is why the partnership with the Civil War Preservation Trust is so critical. This visionary preservation group is able to work with other foundations, state and local governments, and their membership, to match federal funds by 100 percent."

He noted that the Trust "receives no financial gain" from the program, but meanwhile has raised more than $30 million in matching funds. "They are in this fight for all the right reasons," Webb said. "This partnership truly serves as a model in bringing all stakeholders to the table to tackle pressing national issues."