The National Park Service wants to take over the Race Point Light and Keepers House from the U.S. Coast Guard/NPS file

Preserving historic battlefields, purchasing inholdings, acquiring wildlife habitat, and purchased water rights are among the National Park Service projects the Biden administration wants to tackle with nearly $57 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for Fiscal 2022.

The projects on the administration's list stretch (attached below) from Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia to War of the Pacific National Historical Park, where requested funds would be used to remove unexploded munitions and preserve a historic World War II Japanese cave.

"The administration’s extensive list of requested LWCF projects shows just how important the Great American Outdoors Act is to the protection of our national parks," said John Garder, senior director of budget & appropriations for the National Parks Conservation Association. "From providing more access for swimming and wildlife viewing at Cumberland Island National Seashore to protecting lands that commemorate atrocities at the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site from development, these projects will benefit our parks now and for generations to come. The list demonstrates the results Congress can achieve with a bipartisan commitment to our national parks.”

Here's a glance at some of the projects in more than 30 units of the National Park System that would benefit from the funding:

Petersburg National Battlefield, Virginia

Acres acquired: 508

Cost: $1,475,000

Project: Acquisition of 18 parcels, totaling 508 acres, directly relates to the preservation of historic battlefields and fortifications located in nationally significant sites. Acquisition would allow for long-term protection and preservation of key terrain and the many landscape elements that have survived in the area. More specifically, it would allow for the long-term protection and preservation of the west-facing Union breastworks built in 1864 during the first battle of Reams Station leading up to the Confederate attacks.

Outside of the Five Forks battlefield, there are few landscapes that help understand and interpret the role of the cavalry. These tracts contain Civil War archaeological resources that would bolster the interpretation on the diversity of the types of troops involved in the campaign and the ability to tell the historic story. In addition, the acquisition would provide an opportunity for improvements to an existing interpretive trail. The Battlefield, local governments, and non-profits are actively planning a regional trail to connect these sites with a network of trails being developed in the area. The acquisition will provide open space and habitat for flora and fauna in a largely urban/suburban area.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Acres: 483

Cost: $2,800,000

Project: Protection of the identified parcels would provide visitor use of undeveloped, pristine beach for recreational activities including swimming, bird watching, and wildlife viewing. It will also ensure the continuity of the Parallel Trail, the 6.1-mile primary north/south artery for hikers and bicyclists, and protect both cultural and natural areas in a prominent section of the park. These tracts contain a unique ecosystem of oak maritime forest that has become uncommon.

This important habitat supports nesting for threatened sea turtles and shorebirds. In addition, the area contains historic resources that are part of the Stafford Plantation Historic District. Protection of these lands would allow access to the Historic District for visitors and interpretation by park staff, and preserve remnants associated with the plantation era and the enslaved African American community.

This acquisition would also reduce the incidence of visitor trespass onto private lands as they navigate the island. These lands bisect the park and one parcel is located immediately adjacent to park facilities, including a ferry dock, visitor contact station, and campground, which creates significant opportunity for unwitting trespass by visitors.

Big South Fork National Scenic and Recreational River, Tennessee/Kentucky

Acres: 500

Cost: $1,000,000

Project: This request proposes acquisition of seven to 13 important tracts that encompass the most vulnerable areas of the scenic New River area within Big South Fork NRRA. Currently there are 40 oil wells on these sensitive tracts that are producing oil and/or gas. Many of the wells were drilled in the 1970s and 1980s and pose a significant threat of contamination and oil spills to this highly visited and recreational sporting site. Several of the producing wells are located adjacent to New River, with a collection line crossing the river.

These lands contain remote, steep, and pristine areas that have a high backcountry recreational value for solitude and exploration. Recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, hiking and boating are abundant. These lands are an important natural migration pathway for aquatic and terrestrial organisms, especially fish moving upstream to spawn. Protection of the water quality of this stream is critical in the preservation of the downstream resources.

Acquisition may protect some of the most critical habitat within the New River’s ecosystem and prevent threats from continued mineral extraction on vulnerable land. The remediation of the aftermath of such activities is extremely costly and labor intensive. Acquiring the land soon may also eliminate potential new oil wells and new building construction.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Acres: 28,213

Cost: $12,000,000

Project: This request for three tracts includes the largest remaining private inholding of 28,300 acres, and contains significant paleontological, archaeological, and recreational resources that are part of the Petrified Forest Expansion Act of 2004. These parcels provide open space opportunities to hikers, bicyclists, explorers, wildlife enthusiasts, horseback riders, and photographers, and contain some of the best overlook sites in northeastern Arizona.

Petrified Forest National Park is one of the leading places in the world to study the geology and paleontology of the Late Triassic Period, when the first dinosaurs roamed the Earth. These tracts contain significant archaeology resources including early Puebloan sites and extremely large and exquisitely preserved petroglyphs important to the history of local Tribes. These sites are some of the largest in the area and provide important insight on early North American history, however, many have been impacted by erosion and vandalism.

Acquisition would allow protection and enjoyment of the paleontological and archaeological sites, enhanced visitor access to a vast area, and potential new recreational opportunities such as mountain biking, car camping, and climbing. The parcels have also been identified by USFWS as prime habitat for reintroducing the black footed ferret and maintaining viable prairie dog colonies.

Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Wisconsin

Acres: 180

Cost: $1,900,000

Project: The 180-acre property lies within the center of the boundaries of the 1,700-acre Ice Age National Scenic Trail Interpretive Site. The property is a critical parcel within this area because of its expansive views of both the glaciated and unglaciated landscapes surrounding it, which is the theme of the park. In addition, the acquisition of this tract will allow for the only feasible trail connectivity to U.S. Fish & Wildlife land located to the south and National Park Service land to the north. The property is comprised primarily of agriculture fields, steep valleys, ravines, woods, and a farmstead.

Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts

Acres: 11

Cost: $200,000

Project: This request includes two critical land acquisition projects: a lighthouse and a land exchange. The Race Point Light complex includes the 45-foot-tall lighthouse, the Keepers House, Whistle House, and Oil House constructed around 1876. Race Point Light Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and was recently declared excess property by the U.S. Coast Guard. It can be acquired by the NPS at no cost in accordance with the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

The Town of Eastham would like to relocate a road to address encroaching coastal erosion and ensure continuing property access for the community. The re-alignment of the road would require a land exchange and an opportunity for the NPS to include lands that would enhance the Park’s resources such as forested areas and a vernal pool that has important natural resource qualities. This request is for the due diligence costs needed to complete the transfer of the Race Point Light complex and the land exchange to re-align a local road.

Shiloh National Military Park, Tennessee/Mississippi

Acres: 340

Cost: $1,540,000

Project: These 24 tracts are located in the original 1894 legislative boundary in the southeastern sector of the geographical plateau that is comprised of Shiloh Hill and Shake-A-Rag Hill. The threat of development, as well as potential clear cutting of native hardwood forest, would alter the historic condition of these lands and expose them to erosion. Around a dozen structures in varying degrees of disrepair and garbage heaps dot the woodlots in this area.

Private ownership of these tracts restricts visitor access to several key battle-related troop positions. Park land is maintained with the mission to preserve its natural and historic landscape intact. Bringing these properties under Federal ownership will enable the park to restore and interpret the historic landscape and to develop public hiking trails to these key battlefield positions. This will also allow the NPS to remove invasive species and restore riparian forest and floodplain characteristics, which make the area more resilient to impacts from climate change.

Zion National Park, Utah

Acres: 50 

Cost: $1,950,000 

Project: This area, the Cave Valley, has several inholdings and is the park’s focus for resource and land protection. This project is part of a continuing effort, with four inholdings protected through acquisitions or donations in the past 11 years. The parcel has a high density of archaeological resources and has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Currently, the property is open land with no structures and lies immediately adjacent to a main paved road used by many visitors to access trails in the Kolob Terrace area of the Park. The development of the parcel for residential or commercial use would be a great detraction to the beauty of the area and the mission of the park.

With road access, the parcel provides recreation access to Zion Wilderness and an adjacent Bureau of Land Management Special Recreation Area, which contains a small campground and canyoneering site access. Zion National Park is one of the NPS’s most heavily visited parks and preventing development in order to protect its wilderness characteristics is a benefit that visitors will be able to enjoy for generations.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Acres: 340

Cost: $375,000

Project; The 340-acre tract in South Double Canyon is the last inholding at the park and features the Pink Bobcat Cave. This tract is composed of beautiful, steep-walled Guadalupe Mountain canyon with a significant potential for biological, cave and karst, geological, archaeological, and cultural resources. The mature vegetative community present in the upper portions of the canyon is prime habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl, a threatened and endangered species.

This is the best habitat to be found within the boundaries of the park for the Mexican Spotted Owl. The inholding contains geographic features such as caves, rock shelters, ridgelines, and broad drainage areas with a high probability for archeological resources. This project provides habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl, which is endangered in part due to climate change, and it protects archaeological resources that are important to 14 tribes.

Denali National Park, Alaska

Acres: 140

Cost: $150,000

Project: The requested funds would be used to acquire three tracts, including both patented and unpatented mining claims, located in the Kantishna historic mining district. The vast majority of visitors experience the park almost exclusively from Denali Park Road. From the road, they can view Denali and sight moose, caribou, grizzly bears, wolves, and other species of wildlife. The proposal is to purchase the patented tracts to limit tourism facilities to the already existing lodging operations in Kantishna, and to purchase the unpatented claims to eliminate the damage to natural resources.

The construction of additional tourist lodging on the patented claims and mining activity on the unpatented claims would lead to increased traffic on the road and the likely detriment of park resources and visitor experience. The road corridor is a popular hunting area for wildlife, including the Toklat wolf pack.

The State of Alaska has recently permitted increased hunting of wolves in the area, making this habitat in the park particularly important to their survival. Increased traffic on the road could lead to vehicle-related deaths, a deterrent to animals hunting in the area, and an effective bisecting of the Park, which could impact both migration and hunting opportunities for these species. Acquiring these parcels will allow the NPS to protect park resources from future development and mineral extraction. Protecting this vulnerable ecosystem will contribute to resilience against the effects of climate change.

Haleakalā National Park, Hawai'i

Acres: 3,019 

Cost: $6,125,000 

Project: Large undeveloped parcels of land in Hawai’i are uncommon, in particular those contiguous with the park. All three tracts would protect unique natural and cultural resources. One-third of all birds listed under the Endangered Species Act occur in Hawaiʻi. Acquisition of these tracts would allow the recovery and protection of critical habitat and would set the groundwork for the reintroduction and/or recovery of many unique and endangered Hawaiian species.

Ranching and uncontrolled use by feral pigs, goats and deer have obliterated native habitat and led to large-scale erosion. This proposal also presents an opportunity to expand recreational access for visitors and local communities in South Maui. The two northern parcels are proposed easements to protect valuable recreational access to the Hosmer Grove Campground and Haleamau'u Trail. The southern parcel is the only access for hikers between the Crater of Haleakala (at 7,000 ft. elevation) and the NPS “Denman” tract and would allow connectivity to the main unit. Although hikers have crossed the ranch for years, the current hiking route is not maintained, resulting in frequent injuries.

Acquisition of the ranch and maintenance of a safe trail would permit “through hiking” from the Summit District of Haleakala down to Kaupo. These areas are currently being used by visitors daily, resulting in ever-present liability for the park. This acquisition would protect habitat for a number of endangered species, particularly birds. The park intends to use the parcels to reintroduce/recover a number of species upon acquisition in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Colorado

Acres: 4,078

Cost: $4,100,000

Project: This request presents an opportunity for the National Park Service to acquire the largest contiguous block of private land within the authorized boundaries from willing sellers (4,078 acres). These three parcels include lands listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their significance. It is within the largest tract (2,772.89 acres) that many of the massacre-related artifacts were found in 1999, leading to the legislation authorizing its establishment as a National Historic Site.

The second tract, containing 665.02 acres, is the first section that visitors see when they approach the park and is the landscape visitors see when they are standing at the main visitor overlook. The third tract contains 640 acres bordering the entrance road and is the first section that visitors see within the authorized boundary of the National Historic Site.

These parcels will complement the NPS Sand Creek Visitor's Center and increase public opportunities at the site. Threats to these tracts are imminent, immediate, and two-fold. The first threat is ongoing oil and gas development. Seismic testing for minerals development is actively occurring on these parcels. One new oil well has just been drilled on the immediate northern boundary of the parcel. The second imminent threat is agricultural development. This project protects land sacred to the Northern and Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, and it may protect over 4,000 acres from future oil and gas development.

Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Acres: 100

Cost: $275,000

Project: These parcels are located in the area of the park that was designated as Wilderness through the passage of The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980. There are many allotments in this area that have been selected as Native Allotments based on historical use through the Alaska Native Allotment Act of 1906. These parcels have maintained traditional levels of development consistent with respect to their remote location in southwest Alaska.

The two parcels are located in a wilderness area approximately 13 miles southwest of Lake Brooks and are surrounded by park land. The wilderness areas have remained intact and offer world class opportunities for bear watching, bird watching, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, pack rafting, and camping among other activities. These activities are possible and sought after by park visitors due to the fact that Katmai is home to vast untouched areas of wilderness.

The current owner has requested a right-of-way and the construction of an off-road vehicle trail that would change the use of these parcels dramatically and present the possibility for development. The addition of a motorized trail in this area of the park would fragment the park's wilderness, and would negatively impact locally occurring wildlife, vegetation, and sensitive tundra soils. Acquisition of these parcels would ensure this designated wilderness remains intact and pristine, increasing resilience to the effects from climate change, which already threatens fragile Alaskan tundra.

Death Valley National Park, California/Nevada

Acres for water rights: 90,075

Cost: $750,000

Project: Grazing damage is ongoing in this unique Mojave Desert-Great Basin transitional forest, which includes sensitive meadow habitats supporting an endemic butterfly species. Selective grazing is altering plant communities and increasing spread of non-native grasses. The loss of annual biomass and shrub cover is adversely affecting reptiles and mammals by removing habitat. The diversion of water from natural springs into artificial water catchments disrupts pooling in riparian areas and alters wildlife use of limited water supplies.

The requested funds will be used to acquire significant grazing and water rights in the park. The Hunter Grazing Allotment is the last permitted grazing allotment in Death Valley, and it covers 90,075 acres of federal land. Base property for the allotment is water rights claims, some of them adjudicated. The owner is interested in selling the water rights and retiring his grazing allotment. Conservation groups are willing to contribute $500,000 in addition to the requested Federal appropriation. This acquisition will protect a variety of critical habitats and prevent further loss of biomass and shrub cover.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Acres: 100

Cost: $575,000

Project: Prairie Homestead is a unique combination of three types of construction used by homesteaders on the prairie: a dugout, a sod house, and a claim shanty. It is the best representation of an early homestead in the State of South Dakota and a rare piece of authentic State history.

The park's friends group, the Badlands National Park Conservancy, and the National Park Foundation are interested in this property and are moving ahead with an appraisal and discussions of potential future fundraising efforts. Acquiring the 100-acre parcel will ensure it has no additional development, protecting the unique ecosystem of the native prairie, sequestering carbon, and preserving the landscape that is of significance to the Oglala Lakota Tribe. In addition, the parcel contains a visitor center that has been privately run by the current landowner. The facility is in good condition, and with minimal initial investment, can be converted into an NPS visitor education center.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Acres: 2,200

Cost: $2,500,000

Project: This land is described in the Dingell Act for acquisition to be included in the federal estate of the park. The Quail Mountain Project lands encompass multiple parcels of pristine wildlife habitat. This beautiful parcel is in the northern portion of Joshua Tree National Park in the Joshua Tree Highlands area, one of the most scenic hillsides on the south side of the area. At least one-third of this land provides high quality habitat for threatened desert tortoise. Bighorn sheep, mule deer, bobcat, gray fox, skunk, coyote, badger and mountain lion are all known to use the area as well.

This natural area of Joshua Tree is a significant wildlife migration corridor. Much like a freeway system for wildlife, it provides for the safe movement of animals in and out of the national park and also hosts an intact, pristine vegetative community - a critical component of a healthy ecosystem.

Another portion of the proposed acquisition is a culturally significant landscape known as “Samuelson’s Rocks.” This private property lies less than a mile from the main park road in the Quail Valley area and is a favorite hiking destination, even though it involves trespass by the visitors.

The park seeks to acquire this from the willing seller to reduce liability for the landowner and improve the safety of visitors and increase the protection of the resource. By preserving critical, high-quality habitat for the threatened desert tortoise and by providing a wildlife corridor for a number of species, this acquisition will strengthen the park’s and the surrounding area’s resiliency to the effects of climate change.

War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Hawai'i

Acres: 20

Cost: $825,000

Project: War in the Pacific National Historical Park was established to commemorate the bravery, courage, and sacrifice of those participating in the campaigns of the Pacific Theater of World War II. At War in the Pacific National Historical Park, the former battlefields, gun emplacements, trenches, and historic structures all serve as silent reminders of the bloody World War II battles.

The land (to be acquired) on Guam is next to the Asan River, and the river valley runs through it. A historic World War II Japanese cave, multiple unexploded ordnance remains, endangered species, and social trails traverse the area. The Marine unit used the river corridor as a trail during the battle in July 1944.

Pending an environmental site assessment to include identification of any unexploded ordnance, acquisition would allow trails to be maintained in a safe manner for visitors and increase the length of trails within the Park, as well as provide access to features such as the historic cave and the battlefield trail. The landowner is working directly with the NPS Realty staff to convey the land into the federal estate.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Georgia

Acres: 300

Cost: $1,575,000

Project: Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in present-day Macon, Georgia, preserves traces of over ten millennia of Southeastern Native American culture. Its chief remains are major earthworks built before 1000 CE by the South Appalachian Mississippian culture. These include the Great Temple and other ceremonial mounds, a burial mound, and defensive trenches. They reflect highly skilled engineering techniques and soil knowledge, and the organization of many laborers.

The park is located on the east bank of the Ocmulgee River, and the city developed around the site after the United States built Fort Benjamin Hawkins nearby in 1806 to support trading with Native Americans. The recent Dingell Act expanded the boundary by 2,100 acres to encompass the area that was defined in the park's original 1934 bill. 

The Archeology Conservancy acquired the property when it became available several years ago, with the intent that the government would acquire and include it in Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The whole area is part of a designated Traditional Cultural Property. It is a well-documented site of thousands of years of human occupancy dating back to the Ice Age.

This area was where the farm fields existed that fed the Mound Builder Culture and is where the "common" people lived as opposed to the village site. The mounds currently preserved by the park are where the leaders lived. Since it was common practice to bury the dead under their houses, there is a very good chance the area contains grave sites from the mound building period and possibly the historic Muscogee (Creek) period.

Protecting this area and providing visitor access will enhance the Ocmulgee River Trail, which is being completed at the local county level. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation calls this land their ancestral homeland "where they first settled down."

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Acres: 35

Cost: $7,000,000

Project: This request would provide funding for one of the last three remaining 35-acre parcels of the Snake River Ranch, just inside the park's southwest boundary in a highly visible and scenic area that provides the foreground for the Teton Range. The tract provides critical moose and elk winter range within a significant elk migration corridor.

If the tract stays in private ownership, development of year-round homes is likely and would have significant impacts and consequences. There would be adverse effects on water quality, vegetation, wildlife habitat, and the visual integrity of the area. Development would also adversely affect the scenic values of the area by placing structures and other improvements directly in the viewshed of the Teton Range.