Convening Collaboration: The Evolving Role of the National Park Service

This presentation addresses the evolving role of the National Park Service (NPS) in the Chesapeake and how that has led to NPS serving as a convener of the large landscape collaborative today. The NPS has a long history in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with many units coming into the National Park System beginning in the 1930s. Today, there are fifty-five NPS units in the watershed, along with five national scenic or historic trails and seven national heritage areas. Addition of the extensive partnership based national trails (such as the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT) and heritage areas created a skill-set, approach, and relationships that has enabled NPS to help support collaboration that extends well beyond the agency’s direct park or trail management responsibilities.