The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for maintaining approximately 9,600 historic buildings throughout the national park system. The types of historic buildings vary widely, and include stately historic mansions, military sites, industrial facilities, wilderness cabins, and shacks on the beach. Each site contributes to visitors’ ability to enjoy and experience the unique sense of place found in every park.

There are a range of management options available to NPS to manage these buildings, including leases, concession agreements, and use of buildings for the agency's own administrative and housing needs. However, even though NPS has the legal authority to enter into leases with non-federal partners to help fund the maintenance and use of historic buildings, regulatory and policy barriers are impeding full use of this preservation tool. In response to these challenges, the National Trust released a new report titled Historic Leasing in the National Park System: Preserving History Through Effective Partnerships, which looks at the existing leasing program and offers recommendations to address some of the systemic barriers preventing greater use of leasing throughout national parks.