Summary of National 

Park Service Community 

Assistance Programs 

National Designations | Grant and Financial 

Assistance | Project Assistance |

Investment & Property Acquisition 

The National Park Service (NPS) administers national and regional programs that are available to the public and community 

groups, including nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and state, local, and tribal governments. 

Connections between NPS programs and communities are vital to furthering the mission of the NPS.

NATIONAL DESIGNATIONS

Preserving and conserving nationally important places with community groups

National designations acknowledge the significance of nationally important historic, natural and cultural resources and/or 

the commitment of partner organizations to steward these nationally important places. Designations occur through an act 

of Congress, approval by the Secretary of the Interior and the NPS. Many allow specifically identified organizations to receive 

funding and/or technical assistance from the NPS, such as the National Heritage Areas Program, National Natural Landmarks 

Program, National Trails System, and National Wild and Scenic Rivers Program.

National Heritage Areas Program National Register of Historic Places National Wild and Scenic Rivers

National Historic Landmarks Program National Trails System Program

National Natural Landmarks Program National Water Trails System

GRANT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Providing critical grant and project funding to support community projects

Financial assistance opportunities support the work of specific groups in historic preservation, natural resource conservation, 

recreation, education, and community engagement projects. The financial assistance opportunities identified below are provided through grants and cooperative agreements.

CONSERVATION AND RECREATION 

ASSISTANCE 

Challenge Cost Share Program 

Chesapeake Gateways and a

Trails Program 

Land and Water Conservation 

Fund Grants

Shared Beringian Heritage Program

Southwest Border Resource 

Protection Program 

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND 

HERITAGE EDUCATION ASSISTANCE 

African American Civil Rights 

Grants Program

American Battlefield Protection 

Program 

Certified Local Government Program

Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities Grant Program

Japanese American Confinement 

Sites Grant Program 

Maritime Heritage Program 

National Center for Preservation 

Technology and Training 

National Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act 

Program 

National Underground Railroad 

Network to Freedom

Preserve America Grant Program

Route 66 Corridor Preservation 

Program 

Save America’s Treasures Grant 

Program 

Shared Beringian Heritage Program

Southwest Border Resource Protection 

Program 

State Historic Preservation Program 

Tribal Historic Preservation Program

Underrepresented Community Grants 

Program

May 2017 For more information visit go.nps.gov/cap
PROJECT ASSISTANCE

Providing technical assistance to community groups on preservation, 

conservation, recreation, education, and other community projects 

Project assistance includes resource identification and analysis, and conservation and recreation planning. Some assistance is 

provided for free by NPS staff, such as assistance through the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, and other 

opportunities are fee-for-service. 

CONSERVATION, RECREATION, AND 

HEALTH ASSISTANCE 

Chesapeake Gateways and Trails 

Program 

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies 

Units Network 

Healthy Parks Healthy People 

National Program 

Hydropower Recreation Assistance 

Program

Rivers, Trails, and Conservation 

Assistance Program

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND 

EDUCATION ASSISTANCE

American Battlefield Protection 

Program 

American Indian Liaison Office

Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units 

Cultural Resources Geographical Information Systems Facility

Heritage Documentation Program 

Heritage Travel Itineraries 

Historic Preservation Training Center 

Midwest Archeology Center 

National Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act 

Program 

National Underground Railroad 

Network to Freedom

Olmsted Center for Landscape 

Preservation

Southeast Archeological Center 

Submerged Resources Center

Teaching with Historic Places 

Technical Preservation Services

Telling All Americans’ Stories – 

Heritage Initiatives and Theme 

Studies

INVESTMENT & PROPERTY ACQUISTION ASSISTANCE 

Helping communities invest in historic buildings and federal surplus property 

to create new assets 

Investment and property acquisition assistance includes programs that support community efforts to rehabilitate historic 

properties and acquire federal land and property. 

Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program

Federal Lands to Parks Program 

Historic Surplus Property Program 

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Program