Since its founding in 1916, the National Park Service has been charged with caring for the nation's remarkable wealth of natural and cultural heritage. National Parks provide some of the finest natural laboratories on earth. They also preserve sites and landscapes significant for their association with a wide array of cultural groups and defining events in American history. These protected ecosystems offer unparalleled opportunities to study and learn about natural systems and our collective past. As stewards of park resources, we are committed to preserving them for future generations. However, parks in the Northwest face increasing pressures from outside their boundaries. Declining air quality, introduction of non-native species, water pollution, incompatible uses of resources, and the proximity of Puget Sound's growing urban development are just some of the challenges facing the national parks of the Northwest. In 1998, the National Park Service Omnibus Act was passed, setting forth a research mandate for the Secretary of Interior to provide for the highest quality science and its use in decision-making. The Act promotes cooperative agreements with universities and colleges to obtain multidisciplinary research results and information products to assist park management at local and regional levels. The legislation also encourages scientific study in parks by a broad range of entities so long as that research is commensurate with park protection.