Andersonville National Historic Site Addresses Deferred Maintenance Thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act
by Susie Sernaker, Chief of Interpretation

Turf Before Rehabilitation

Andersonville National Historic Site would like to wish a happy fourth anniversary to the Great American Outdoors Act. The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is a significant investment that is reducing the burden of backlogged maintenance and repair projects in national parks. GAOA has financed numerous significant projects across the National Park system and at several at Andersonville National Historic Site over the past four years. We would like to highlight two projects here.

Turf After Rehabilitation

A project this past year that has really made a difference is turf rehabilitation in Andersonville National Cemetery. With this $207,000 deferred maintenance project, roughly 260,000 square feet of deteriorated turf was overseeded and top-dressed with a heat and drought resistant cultivar. The rehabilitation is improving the density and uniformity of the cemetery turf; this will lead to higher turf quality and less-demanding maintenance practices in the future. The cultural landscape and other cultural resources will be protected, and the appropriate steps taken to bring the cemetery turf into good, from poor, condition. Plus, it just looks nicer.

Another project that is in progress thanks to GAOA is a youth project clearing overgrown brush from the historic Camp Sumter prison site, especially around the Stockade Branch, the primary source of water for the prison during its existence from February 1864 to April 1865. With this $107,442.00 project young men from the local community are clearing vegetation growth from all the earthworks around the prison site as well as removing any invasive vegetation found around the prison site grounds.

Other Great American Outdoors Act funded projects are in the works here at Andersonville NHS. Follow us on our social media platforms and our website at www.nps.gov/ande for future news.