CONCLUSION
The Missions Initiative takes an innovative and comprehensive approach to the coordination of cultural resource management practices in the United States and Mexico. Although much work remains to be done, collaboration on the management of former Spanish Colonial Mission sites throughout the region is already underway. Relationships established among representatives of the National Park Service, the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, university faculty, independent research organizations, and local groups warrant optimism for the long-term effectiveness of a new and exciting partnership. As it builds on shared strategic issues and preliminary program goals, the Missions Initiative can provide benefits to resource administrators and the visiting public in the years ahead.