The War Between the States Heritage Trust Program is created to achieve the following goals by protecting lands and making them available to state agencies, educational institutions, and public and private groups for the following purposes:

(1) for research in such fields as history, archeology, agriculture, forestry, paleontology, and similar fields by governmental employees, educational and scientific groups, as well as by private individuals;

(2) for the teaching of history, archeology, agriculture, forestry, paleontology, and other subjects;

(3) as cultural materials;

(4) as places of natural and cultural interests and beauty whereby through visitation the public may observe, value, and enjoy unique recreational opportunities of a type not generally available through the existing State Park System;

(5) to promote the understanding and appreciation of the aesthetic, historical, cultural, and scientific values of such areas and features by the people of the State;

(6) for the preservation and protection of War Between the States Heritage Preserves and Sites against modification or encroachment resulting from occupation, development, or other uses which would destroy their natural and cultural character; and

(7) as places for maintaining representative lands and related structures which illustrate periods, events, styles, and uses of the land in our state’s historic and cultural heritage.