Working With Communities

The National Park Service cares for America's more than 400 national parks…and works in almost every one of her 3,141 counties.

National Park Service professionals take our mission on the road offering advice, technical assistance, recognition, and even cold, hard cash to help communities across the country preserve their own history and create close-to-home recreation opportunities.

We are honored to be invited into America's towns and cities to work with those who share our commitment to conservation, preservation, and recreation. Find out what's happening in your community.

We value dynamic conversations that enhance public engagement. We are proud to join forces with Indian tribes, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, private citizens, and other partners, to build trails and playgrounds, return historic buildings to productive use, revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing, protect watersheds, recognize and promote local history, and introduce the next generation to stewardship opportunities and responsibilities.

And the results are tangible.

Working with our partners the National Park Service has:

• leveraged more than $55 billion in historic preservation investment through tax incentives awarded more than $5 billion in preservation and outdoor recreation grants
• listed more than 85,000 properties in the National Register of Historic Places
• designated more than 1,000 National Recreation Trails

We can also help you …

• Honor our nation's history at national historic landmarks, national historic trails, and national heritage areas
• Conserve rivers, plan, build, and preserve open spaces and outdoor recreation places
• Document historic buildings, structures, and landscapes
• Turn surplus federal land into local parks and acquire surplus federal buildings for community uses
• Highlight local history with a Teaching with Historic Places lesson plan or Discover Our Shared Heritage travel itinerary

Learn more about the National Park Service's community-based historic preservation, civic engagement, and outdoor recreation programs.