SCHUMER LEGISLATION TO HELP FISHKILL REVOLUTIONARY WAR CAMP ACCESS FEDERAL PRESERVATION DOLLARS SET TO CLEAR MAJOR LEGISLATIVE HURDLE

Schumer-Introduced Legislation To Make Fishkill Depot Eligible For Preservation Funding To Purchase And Preserve Historic Land

Schumer Visited Fishkill Location In June To Announce Legislation To Provide Funding To Preserve Historic Site

Bill Will Be Considered By Full Energy and Natural Resources Committee Tomorrow

Press Release from the Office of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, December 15, 2009

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that his legislation to make the Supply Depot in Fishkill eligible for federal preservation funds will clear a major legislative hurdle tomorrow when it is considered by the full Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Schumer’s legislation will expand the existing preservation program that provides funding for communities to purchase and preserve significant historic locations, the American Battlefield Protection Program so it includes the Fishkill Supply Depot. The depot is listed in the 2007 Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the U.S., but the program only applies to sites that are listed in the 1993 Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. The legislation would expand the program to include the depot and authorize $10 million per year of funding specifically for the acquisition of Revolutionary War sites, in addition to the already available $10 million in funding for Civil War Sites.

The full Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a markup of the legislation tomorrow at 10am and will likely pass the legislation out of committee so the full Senate can vote on it, potentially by the end of the year or early next year. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives. This summer, Schumer invited Mara Farrell, local preservation expert and Fishkill Depot advocate, to testify before the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks in favor of the legislation. “Preserving our Revolutionary War history is as sacred and patriotic as it is good for the extraordinary tourism economy of the Hudson Valley. With this committee markup we are one step closer to preserving the historic Fishkill Supply depot for generations to come,” said Schumer. “This legislation will provide the town with greater resources to purchase and preserve the site to prevent any further development and destruction, transforming it into another major tourist attraction in the Hudson Valley.”

Recent archeological investigations and ground-penetrating radar scans have located hundreds of graves, dating back to the 18th century, and it is anticipated that the number of graves on the site could be more than 1,000. Much of the Fishkill Supply Depot site has been covered by development, and there have been further plans for the construction of a shopping center. The National Park Service (NPS) makes available $10,000,000 a year from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to help States and local communities acquire threatened Civil War Battlefields. The Civil War Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (CWBLAG) are administered by the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) and awarded through a competitive process. Schumer’s legislation will ensure that the Fishkill Supply Depot is eligible for these funds, and will authorize an additional $10 million for the program specifically to purchase Revolutionary War sites.

The Fishkill Supply Depot was used during the Revolutionary War as a hub for food and supplies and as a camp for soldiers of the Continental Army. An important supply center in the New York region, the depot was visited by George Washington and was actively used by the army from 1776-1783. The site played an important role in the Continental Army’s fight to prevent the advance of the British Army and ultimately win independence. It has increasingly been referred to as New York’s Valley Forge.

Despite its historical significance, little remains of the original structures at the Fishkill Supply Depot today. Much of this significant historic site has been developed into a shopping mall and a gas station. Now, once more, land belonging to the supply depot, which has never been properly assessed by experts in the field of military archaeology, is being seriously threatened by a new round of commercial development.

The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) promotes the preservation of significant historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil. The goals of the program are 1) to protect battlefields and sites associated with armed conflicts that influenced the course of our history, 2) to encourage and assist all Americans in planning for the preservation, management, and interpretation of these sites, and 3) to raise awareness of the importance of preserving battlefields and related sites for future generations. The ABPP focuses primarily on land use, cultural resource and site management planning, and public education.

Both the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields and the Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the U.S. were commissioned by Congress and compiled by the National Parks Service.

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