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There are certain endeavors better suited to enterprises undertaken in cooperation with government, and our partners fill that need. Great Basin National Park has more to offer visitors' experience thanks to their dedication and willingness to take on the challenge. They help us bring a more complete park experience to our visitors.

Great Basin National Park Foundation

Another invaluable partner, the Great Basin National Park Foundation was established and incorporated in 1998 under the laws of the State of Nevada to raise funds to assist Great Basin National Park and the National Park Service to achieve the park's mission. Bonnie Bryan, wife of Senator Richard H. Bryan, of Nevada, served as the Founding Chairperson. The Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. To date, the Foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and has been able to support the Park in several projects, including increasing access to Park trails, recording and transcribing oral histories, and exhibits for the new Great Basin Visitor Center in Baker, Nevada.

In 2007, the Foundation developed a Strategic Plan that established the following vision:

* Every person who enters into the Great Basin and passes through the region will know where they have been and will understand conceptually what the Great Basin is.

* Future generations will enjoy wide open landscapes, clean air, dark night skies, vigorous and diverse native ecosystems, and thriving local cultures. The Great Basin is enjoyed for its space, silence, and solitude and given protection on par with its diverse and unique natural and cultural resources.

* Great Basin National Park will be a recognized jewel of the national park system, with ample opportunities for volunteering and citizen involvement, healthy and sustainable native ecosystems, improved visitor facilities, and an expanded access to more remote areas of the park and its spectacular backcountry.

* Knowledge and appreciation of the Great Basin's natural and cultural resources - including, but not limited to the Park- will be integrated in a cross-disciplinary approach into Nevada and Utah's elementary and high school curriculums.

* Increased interest in the Park and the region will support the tourism industry and tourism infrastructure will improve in Baker and other local communities, offering visitors more and better options and improving their overall Great Basin experience.

The Foundation is currently working on several projects in support of the park, including "greening" the park's vehicle fleet and developing education and internship programs in partnership with area universities.

To learn more about the Foundation, current projects, and opportunities for making financial or in-kind contributions, please visit us at www.greatbasinfoundation.org.

Great Basin National Heritage Area Partnership

An organization in partnership with Great Basin National Park that among other things is poised to help us tell our stories better. Created by Congress in 2006 (P.L.109-338) the Heritage Area, as it has come to be known, includes both Millard County in Utah and White Pine County in Nevada. The Duckwater Shoshone and Ely Shoshone Reservations are also represented. The Heritage Area was established to provide the public with better access to the historical, cultural, natural, scenic, and recreational resources available. As a fully chartered organization, the Heritage Area can receive federal funding on a 1:1 matching basis and apply for grants. It has been designated a 501(c)(3) for donations and has a Board of Directors and a small staff maintaining an office in the former ranger station in Baker, Nevada.

There is a wealth of information and sites to see just waiting for the Heritage Area to help give them expression. For more information, find them on the web at www.greatbasinheritage.org