H.R. 9597: Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act

This bill would rename the existing Civil War defenses around Washington, D.C. as the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park and set up a broader framework for preserving, interpreting, and promoting these sites.

What the park would include

The bill says the new historical park would cover federally owned National Park Service lands tied to the Civil War defenses of Washington, including forts and related sites in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. Examples include:

• Forts and batteries such as Fort Stevens, Fort Reno, Fort Totten, Fort Dupont, Fort Foote, Fort Ward, and others listed in the bill
• Related National Park areas like Fort Circle Drive, Battleground National Cemetery, Fort Washington, and Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm

How other sites could be added

The bill allows other historically connected sites to become affiliated with the park through cooperative agreements. This includes some local-government-owned sites already identified in the bill, such as Fort Ward, Fort C.F. Smith, Fort Ethan Allen, Fort Willard, and Battery Bailey.

It also allows privately owned or other local sites to be affiliated later if the Secretary of the Interior determines they are eligible and the owner agrees. Any non-federal property can only be included with the owner’s written consent, and the government could not use condemnation to acquire land. The Secretary could buy property only from willing sellers, and only if funding is available.

What the federal government would be directed to do

The bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to administer the park under existing National Park System rules and would allow the Secretary to:

• Provide technical assistance to local governments, organizations, and private owners
• Accept donations, gifts, labor, and services to support the park
• Enter into cooperative agreements to help with visitor services and administrative facilities
• Identify and, with owner consent, mark important related historical sites in the wider region

Study and report on a Civil War history education center

The bill also directs the Secretary of the Interior to study creative, cost-effective ways to present the history of the Civil War for public education, including the defenses of Washington and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. The study would look at possible locations, use of existing buildings, and donated funding.

Within one year after enactment, the Secretary would have to submit a report with recommendations to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Public purpose stated in the bill

The bill’s stated purpose is to protect and interpret these historic, natural, and recreational resources for current and future visitors, and to help tell the story of the Civil War and its effect on the country.

Relevant Companies

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