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Preservation bill could help save area Civil War battlefields

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill last week to reauthorize the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program, which has preserved over 15,000 acres of battlefield land from the Civil War.

“Tennessee is steeped in Civil War history – 38 significant battles were fought in our state,” said Congressman Bart Gordon, a longtime supporter of the Preservation Program. “In Rutherford County alone, there are six Civil War battlefields, and with the passage of this bill, each site becomes eligible to receive preservation grants.”

The House bill, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act, authorizes an annual $10 million to be awarded to states and localities by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program. The award recipients’ must provide matching funds and use the money to acquire lands or interest in lands to preserve Civil War battlefields that are not protected as elements by the National Park Service.
Read entire article at http://www.murfreesboropost.com