Project Profile: Inland and River Landscapes - Climate Change Impacts to Military and Battlefield Cultural Landscapes

Restoration work at Malvern Hill, Richmond National Battlefield Park

NPS

Inflation Reduction Act
Resilience | FY24 $756,750

The National Park Service (NPS) will create comprehensive geospatial databases to synthesize existing cultural resource data with the goal of informing strategies to address climate change. The project is focused on inland and river battlefield cultural landscapes in the Northeast region that are affected by climate change impacts such as river flooding, more frequent and intense storms, and changing vegetation and fire regimes.

Why? Climate change threatens cultural landscapes and resources in parks commemorating battlefields such as Gettysburg National Military Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, and Richmond National Battlefield Park. The project seeks to integrate existing cultural resource data with climate information to develop targeted adaptation strategies. This project will provide insight into the climate stressors and vulnerability of military and battlefield cultural landscapes that are inland and along riverways, along with the targeted adaptation and monitoring strategies.

What Else? The NPS will engage undergraduate and graduate students through a partnership with North Carolina State University, facilitating knowledge transfer and fostering future stewardship of cultural resources.

About the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the National Park Service with an historic opportunity to address critical ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs. Projects funded in national parks represent broad-scale and impactful resource investments across every corner of out nation—from Alaska to Florida to Maine.