57th Congress, 1st Session). The Report called for development of a Fort Drive to connect the Civil War defenses of Washington in the Nation’s capital. Congress appropriated funds to purchase lands for the Fort Drive during the 1930s, but it was never fully completed. (9) Most of the remaining Civil War defenses of Washington contain significant natural and recreational resources, and some offer sweeping vistas overlooking the Nation’s capital. With the lands acquired for the Fort Drive, they provide a linkage of urban green spaces that contribute to the history, character, and scenic values of the Nation’s capital and offer educational and recreational opportunities along with their natural and important historical values. (10) Sites associated with the Civil War defenses of Washington that are in Federal ownership within the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the State of Maryland are managed under three separate units of the National Park Service (Rock Creek Park, National Capital Parks–East, and the George Washington Memorial Parkway). Action by Congress is needed to protect and aid the educational benefits of the unique place in history of these sites through proper management, stabilization, maintenance, development, use, and, importantly, interpretation. (11) It is fitting and proper that, as Americans reflect upon the legacy of the Civil War, we more fully understand and appreciate the roles of the battles in the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland related to the defenses of Washington. Taken together, these battles were pivotal to the outcome of the war and therefore to its impact on the promise of the United States. It is therefore in the national interest that these historically important sites and resources be protected from further damage or loss and that they be preserved, enhanced, and interpreted for the use, enjoyment, and education of present and future generations. (12) There is a genuine need and compelling reason for the United States to