LWCF Funded Units in Illinois

Federal Program
Chautauqua NWR
Crab Orchard NWR
Cypress Creek NWR
Emiquon NWR
Jefferson Expansion NMem
Kaskaskia NWR
Lewis and Clark NHT
Lincoln Home NHS
Mark Twain NWR
Meredosia NWR
Midewin NTGP
Shawnee NF
Upper Mississippi River NWR
Approximate Federal Total	$50,000,000
State Program
Approximate Total Stateside Grants	$152,000,000
Approximate Total Federal and State	$202,000,000

LWCF Success in Illinois

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped protect some of Illinois’ most treasured places. Illinois has received approximately $202 million over the past four decades, protecting places such as the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge

The Cypress Creek NWR provides resting, nesting, and feeding habitats for a variety of birds and other wildlife. The Cache River and Cypress Creek Wetlands includes 91 percent of Illinois’ high-quality swamplands and some of the oldest trees east of the Mississippi River. LWCF funds aid in the efforts to preserve, restore and manage the wetlands and bottomland forest of the Refuge. Visitors to the Cypress Creek NWR can utilize the many recreational opportunities available, such as hiking, fishing, hunting, canoing, wildlife watching, and environmental education.

Economic Benefits

Active outdoor recreation is an important part of the Illinois economy. Each year, 1 million sportspersons and 2.6 million wildlife watchers combine to spend $2.4 billion on wildlife-associated recreation in Illinois. This is an integral part of the American outdoor recreation economy, which contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supports 6.4 million American jobs (1 out of every 20 jobs in the U.S.), and stimulates 8 percent of all consumer spending, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.