Renýe S. Novak

American Battlefield Protection Program

As an intern with the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) at the National Park Service headquarters in Washington this past summer, I was responsible for coordinating the Civil War Sites Advisory Committee's (CWSAC) reassessment of 384 Civil War battlefields in 26 states. My main focus was on changes in preservation and planning related activities that have occurred on these battlefields since the first assessment was completed in 1993. Some of my other tasks this summer involved an inventory of strategically marked USGS quad maps for the survey collection, traveling to Richmond and Petersburg National Military Parks for meetings with park superintendents, and networking as program liaison with various non-profit organizations and local government agencies. In 2007, the ABPP will finish the Civil War reassessment study and compile the information into a report for Congress. I feel that this experience at the federal level has been beneficial in preparing me for a preservation career.