National Park Foundation Doubles Support for Innovation Across the National Park System with Additional $12 Million Investment

Thirty new grants will enable park partners and parks to implement new approaches to natural resource management, public safety, interpretation, and more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation (NPF) has awarded $12 million in grants to support a second cohort of 30 new, innovative projects across the National Park System. This investment will benefit more than 40 national parks and enable collaboration between parks, park partners, and others to test new ideas and scalable technologies that will strengthen parks, expand what is possible, and ensure these extraordinary places endure for generations.

This second cohort builds on the inaugural launch of NPF's innovation grants earlier this year, bringing NPF's total investment in innovation in 2026 to nearly $25 million and expanding into new focus areas like interpretation and natural resource management. Grantees will experiment with ideas that can improve how parks manage natural, cultural, and historic resources; strengthen public safety; make visitor information more accessible; and deepen partnerships.

Like the first round of grants, these projects are designed to solve site-specific challenges while producing models and tools other parks can use. Parks and partners will participate in learning groups, working with NPF and the National Park Service (NPS) to replicate what works, address barriers to scale, and share relevant lessons with other parks. Every project was developed by parks and their partners, reflecting NPF's commitment to empower those closest to the work.

A few highlights include:

• Washington's National Park Fund will partner with NPS' North Coast and Cascades Network and scientists at Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks to develop an AI-enabled hazard forecasting system that turns weather, hydrologic, snowpack, vegetation, and lightning-strike data into actionable information for park management to make earlier and more precise decisions about closures, staffing, emergency response, infrastructure protection, and visitor safety.
• Lincoln Presidential Foundation will connect six NPS sites in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky that tell the story of Abraham Lincoln's life and legacy, supporting a shared network of virtual tours, 3D documentation, and multilingual, accessible self-guided experiences that expand access onsite and online, support newer park units with limited visitor facilities, and offer a model for other parks seeking to link sites in different places into one story.
• Rocky Mountain Conservancy will develop protocols for and conduct thermal infrared aerial surveys at Rocky Mountain National Park to improve monitoring of moose populations, inform adaptive wildlife management and wetland restoration, and establish methods other parks can adapt for wildlife population monitoring.
• Chalon Indian Council of Bakersfield will strengthen tribal co-stewardship at Pinnacles National Park by training Chalon Indian Nation tribal members in low-impact archeological sensing technologies, cultural monitoring, and approaches that integrate Indigenous values into cultural resource management.
• Independence Historical Trust will launch a drone program at Independence National Historical Park to support the park during large events and emergencies and enable staff to more easily inspect roofs and hard-to-reach features of the park's aging historic buildings.

View the full list of grants included in the second cohort here.

"National parks have always represented a bold idea, and their future depends on continued innovation," said NPF Chief Program Officer Mike Reynolds. "The National Park Foundation was inspired by the overwhelming interest from parks and park partners, and we are proud to double down on our support for their new ideas that can make their parks safer, more resilient, and more enjoyable and meaningful for the millions of people who experience them each year."

These grants are made possible with the support of NPF's donors and partners, including Lilly Endowment Inc., Peter and Betsy Chung, Robert and Kitty Brunswick, Cody J Smith, The Ball Foundation, and Arconic Foundation.

The response from parks and park partners has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than 200 unique proposals received in 2026. NPF plans to open a call for 2027 projects in the coming months.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
The National Park Foundation is the nation's most trusted way for people to support America's national parks. We work with the National Park Service and partners across the country to fund priority projects that keep parks strong, relevant, and accessible. This work helps ensure parks continue to inspire pride across the country and offer experiences that create meaningful connection. In 2025, NPF funded $100 million in on-the-ground priority projects nationwide, made possible through the generosity of donors, to advance critical work, including infrastructure, restoration, education, and access, ensuring parks continue to endure for generations to come. Learn more at nationalparks.org and follow NPF on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

SOURCE National Park Foundation