Doug Eury, former Superintendent of Nez Perce National Historical Park, observed about the park, "If we don't have partnerships, we don't have a park." Increasingly partnerships are essential and effective means for the National Park Service to fulfill parts of our mission and foster a shared sense of stewardship that is so crucial for our future. We face two pressing realities.

Our partners develop an appreciation for and a sense of commitment to the NPS mission, values, resources and people. Partnerships are a sound investment for both the near and long term. We need to invest wisely. Good partnering is both a skill and an art. Looking around the National Park Service today, there are many partnerships underway. We have brilliant partnership successes that inspire and some that need work or are dysfunctional. We are doing a lot, but we need to do much more. Partnering is a skill that most NPS staff need to cultivate and do well. This NPS web site, and in particular the How to section, is intended to help develop and strengthen that skill throughout the National Park Service.

Given current budget realities and the current recession, we are coming up short on enough funds and staff to keep up with accomplishing our core mission work. This gap necessitates re-thinking how we can best get the job done. Our role needs to shift from trying to do everything ourselves to one of empowering others through partnerships to help us do more while always ensuring that the results meet the high standards we hold for our parks and programs. As Brian O'Neill, former Superintendent of Golden Gate National Recreation Area pointed out, "Every time we do it ourselves, we miss out on an opportunity for community engagement."