News Release

National Park Service taking steps to protect visitors and historic resources at Antietam National Cemetery

Date: April 5, 2023
Contact: Keith Snyder, 301-432-5124

SHARPSBURG, Md.—For the safety of visitors and staff and to protect historic resources, Antietam National Battlefield will remove 47 trees from Antietam National Cemetery this April. Portions of the trees will be saved and milled for historic preservation projects around the park.   

Many of the trees were planted when the cemetery was established in 1867 and are at the end of their lifecycle or have outgrown their environment and have the potential to damage the historic cemetery. This project is just one action identified in the Antietam National Cemetery Cultural Landscape Report, the long-term plan for the care of this critical park area.  

Throughout the park, the National Park Service (NPS) has also begun efforts to plant thousands of trees, including 14,500 in March 2023. The NPS plans to plant even more next spring. 

-NPS-