Eastern Grasslands Initiative

A 160-acre grassland restoration project will begin May 9, 2026, in areas surrounding the Pennsylvania Monument and the Eternal Light Peace Memorial of the Gettysburg National Military Park.

An overhead map showing various shading of tan and green for farm fields but highlighting areas in red. Along the right is a guide with symbols with details about how to read the map. — The map of the Eastern Grasslands Initiative Restoration Site along Hancock Avenue north and west of the Pennsylvania Memorial.
NPS Map.

Restoring Gettysburg’s Historic Grassland Landscape

Gettysburg National Military Park is restoring more than 160 acres of battlefield to native eastern grasslands as part of the National Park Service’s Eastern Grasslands Initiative. These efforts focus on the areas surrounding the Pennsylvania Monument, Hancock Avenue, and the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. The goal is to maintain the open historic views and cultural landscape that shaped the 1863 battlefield while improving wildlife habitat and ecosystem resilience. This work is part of a larger national effort, with 39 National Park Service sites participating, including many other Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields.

A Brief Historical Background

Before the Civil War, the Gettysburg landscape was defined by working farms, meadows, and woodlots. However, over the decades that followed the war, changes in land use and management strategies altered the battlefield’s historic appearance.The park’s 1999 General Management Plan (GMP) called for restoring areas of the battlefield to its 1863 appearance. This included reestablishing and maintaining grasslands throughout the park. This restoration work carries forward the guidance outlined in the 1999 GMP and will help visitors reconnect with this historic landscape while strengthening the resilience of these grasslands so they can thrive for generations.

Why Grasslands Matter

Grasslands across the eastern United States are increasingly at risk. Land use changes, shifts in agricultural practices, forest encroachment, and the spread of invasive plants have caused steep declines in native meadows. As these habitats disappear, so do the wildlife species that rely on them. Many grassland birds in Pennsylvania have experienced long-term population declines and are now recognized as species of conservation concern.Among the many bird species that depend on healthy grasslands on the battlefield are:

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) – A once-common sight in Pennsylvania’s farmlands, now declining due to habitat loss.
Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) – A sensitive species that requires large expanses of native grassland with sparse vegetation.
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) – A long-distance migrant that relies on open meadows for nesting and is increasingly threatened by habitat fragmentation.

Restoring native grasslands on the battlefield helps support these vulnerable species by providing the structure, food sources, and breeding habitat they need to survive. This project plays an important role in regional wildlife conservation while simultaneously maintaining historic battlefield views.

Where Restoration Is Happening

Restoration work will happen in two major zones:

Eternal Light Peace Memorial: Fields north of Doubleday Avenue and to the south of the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.
Pennsylvania Monument and Hancock Avenue: Fields to the southwest of the monument, and on both sides of Hancock Avenue north of the monument.

How Grassland Restoration Works

Restoration will proceed in phases. Crews will first use targeted herbicide applications to remove existing vegetation that is currently dominated by non-native cool-season grasses. Site preparation is followed by native warm-season grass and wildflower planting. These plants take time to establish. They follow a pattern known as “sleep, creep, and leap”, characterized by slow early growth, gradual expansion, then full meadow development within three to five years.

During the restoration process, managers may use mowing and selective invasive plant treatment to guide healthy plant establishment. Vegetation, bird, and insect pollinator monitoring has already begun and will continue throughout the length of the restoration process to guide management decisions and assess the effectiveness of the project.

What Visitors Will See

Visitors may experience temporary trail closures during and immediately after site preparation and seeding work, or fields that appear brown or sparsely vegetated in the early project stages, both of which are normal elements of grassland restoration. As the grasslands mature, they will offer open views, abundant wildflowers, and improved opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife observation along with better habitat for the grassland birds whose populations depend on a diverse grassland ecosystem.

Timeline of Grassland Restoration

2026: The 160-acre grassland restoration project begins around the Pennsylvania Monument, Hancock Avenue, and the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, contributing to the broader Eastern Grasslands Initiative across 39 parks.

2026–2031: Native meadows become established through phased restoration and ongoing management.

Future: Restored grasslands enhance habitat—including for declining grassland birds—while improving scenic views and battlefield interpretation for generations to come.