LWCF Funded Units in Iowa
| Federal Program | |
| Driftless Area NWR | |
| Effi gy Mounds NM | |
| Herbert Hoover NHS | |
| Mark Twain NWR | |
| Neal Smith NWR | |
| Northern Tallgrass Prairie |
|
| Upper Mississippi River NWR |
|
| Approximate Federal Total |
$14,000,000 |
| State Program | |
| Approximate Total Stateside Grants |
$52,000,000 |
| Approximate Total Federal and State | $66,000,000 |
Download the LWCF Support Letter to Senator Harkin, October 2010
LWCF Success in Iowa
The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped protect some of Iowa’s most treasured places. Iowa has received approximately $66 million over the past four decades, protecting places such as the Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge and the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was created in 1990 with the purpose of restoring and reconstructing the native tallgrass prairie and savanna habitats. The refuge includes a wide array of recreational opportunities, including an 800-acre drive through bison enclosure, birding, hiking, biking, and wildlife watching. LWCF funds have been used to restore and protect this native landscape and to provide education to the public of the prairie and savanna habitats.
Economic Benefits
Active outdoor recreation is an important part of the Iowa economy. Each year, 552,000 sportspersons and 1.2 million wildlife watchers combine to spend $1 billion on wildlife-associated recreation in Iowa. 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.