WASHINGTON.- The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has received a grant of $23,985 from the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) to undertake an archeological survey to determine the precise location and established boundaries for MacDonough's War of 1812 Shipyard in Vergennes, Vermont.

"We are proud to support projects like this that safeguard and preserve American battlefields," said Jon Jarvis, Director ofthe National Park Service. "These places are symbols of individual sacrifice and national heritage that we must protect so that this and future generations can understand the struggles that define us as a nation."

This grant is one of 25 National Park Service grants totaling $1.2 million to preserve and protect significant battle sites from all wars fought on American soil. Funded projects preserve battlefields from the Colonial-Indian Wars through World War II and include site mapping (GPS/GIS data collection), archeological studies, National Register of Historic Places nominations, preservation and management plans.

Federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions are eligible for National Park Service battlefield grants which are awarded annually. Since 1996 more than $12 million has been awarded by ABPP to help preserve significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil. To find out more about how the National Park Service helps communities with historic preservation and recreation projects please visit www.nps.gov/communities.