Our Board of Trustees and staff met in October at this fascinating cultural and natural historic American park, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. For all of us, experiencing the magnitude and beauty of this prairie ecosystem is clear affirmation of the important work we are doing to preserve and protect our precious natural treasures – our nation’s parklands.

NPT is fortunate to have a compassionate and hard-working Board of Trustees led by chair, Bill Brownell, a true visionary. Coming together from California, Illinois, Washington DC, Idaho, Washington, West Virginia, Florida, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, and Virginia, NPT’s trustees provide worldly perspectives and professional guidance that are paramount to the success of our land projects. In addition, our lean but dedicated staff: Davinder, Kit, and Amy work unwaveringly to advance the mission of NPT.

Our numerous successes over the past 24 years would not have been possible without your help, our friends and supporters. With diminishing federal funds allocated for land acquisition, the role of the private donor to protect our endangered public parklands is more important than ever. We hope that we can continue to count on your loyal, generous support in the upcoming year.

And the real value our donors receive for their gifts to NPT is noteworthy. I am pleased to announce that for the third consecutive year, NPT received the Best in America Seal of Approval awarded by the Independent Charities of America and the Local Independent Charities of America. To qualify for this designation, NPT has met, on an annual basis, the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. Of the 1 million charities operating in the United States today, fewer than 2000 or 0.2% have been awarded this Seal.

While we continue to work on our projects in Florida and Arkansas, we are excited about our new projects in Alaska, West Virginia, Minnesota, and California, many of which are featured in our 2007 Annual Report. After reading about our work, we hope that you too will share our enthusiasm. Our vision – to complete the national system of parks so that everyone can have an American park experience – cannot be realized without your help!