Statement on the effects of sequestration at Andersonville National Historic Site

Date: March 27, 2013
Contact: Brad Bennett , 229 924-0343 ext. 105
Contact: Eric Leonard, 229 924-0343 ext. 201

ANDERSONVILLE, Georgia - Effective March 1, 2013, Andersonville National Historic Site was required by "sequestration" (a series of automatic, across-the-board permanent spending cuts) to reduce its annual budget by five percent.The park, including Andersonville National Cemetery, must absorb that cut in the remaining seven months of this fiscal year that ends September 30.The federal law imposing sequestration requires that each park take this cut.

For Andersonville National Historic Site, this amounts to a $70,000 reduction from a budget of $1,400,000. The park cut travel, training, overtime, and supply purchases and reduced the number of permanent employee positions to meet the required spending reduction.

While we take the actions necessary to comply with sequestration, the park remains open, welcoming visitors and continuing to protect the resources entrusted to our care.

Following are the major actions being taken to implement the cut:

Staffing (Note: approximately 98 percent of the park budget pays for salaries and other fixed costs such as utilities)

• Unfilled Permanent Positions: Andersonville National Historic Site will not fill two vacant equipment operator positions.

Park Operations: Reduced staffing will affect park operations in the following ways:

• Visitor Services
• • Frequency of setting new grave markers in Andersonville National Cemetery may be delayed - within two weeks of delivery, instead of the one-week standard.
  • Park hours will not be affected at this time. Park grounds remain open to visitors 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, with the National Prisoner of War Museum opening at 9:00 a.m.

• Resource Protection and Maintenance:
• • Park resources are not being negatively impacted at this time.
  • Scheduled mowing of maintained landscapes will occur less often. We will do everything we can to minimize impacts to highly visited areas of the park such as the grounds of the National Prisoner of War Museum, the historic Civil War prison site, and Andersonville National Cemetery.

"We regret that reduced staffing may result in some concern for visitors," remarks park superintendent Brad Bennett. "Despite these challenges, our dedicated team is committed to providing exceptional service to the American public."

Andersonville National Historic Site is located 10 miles south of Oglethorpe, GA and 10 miles northeast of Americus, GA on Georgia Highway 49. The national park features the National Prisoner of War Museum, Andersonville National Cemetery and the site of the historic Civil War prison, Camp Sumter. ­Andersonville National Historic Site is the only national park within the National Park System to serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. Park grounds are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The National Prisoner of War Museum is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. Admission is free. For more information on the park, call 229 924-0343, visit on the web at www.nps.gov/ande/, or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/AndersonvilleNPS

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