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LWCF Success in Nebraska

The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped protect some of Nebraska’s most treasured places.  Nebraska has received approximately $49 million over the past four decades, protecting places such as the Agate Fossils Bed National Monument and the Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge.

Scotts Bluff National Monument

The Scotts Bluff National Monument is a 3,000 acre park located in Western Nebraska.  Scotts Bluff rises 800 feet above the North Platte River and was used as a path marker for the Oregon, California, Pony Express, and Mormon Trails.  Today, the park helps teach us about the experience of the people that crossed the Plains on these trails.  There are many Bicycle, car and walking trails that allow visitors to see the remnants of the old trails.  The Park’s Oregon Trail Museum and Visitor Center has the worlds largest collection of paintings by William Henry Jackson, a painter and photographer famous for his depictions of the American West.

Economic Benefits

Active outdoor recreation is an important part of the Nebraska economy. Each year, 259,000 sportspersons and 490,000 wildlife watchers combine to spend $640 million on wildlife-associated recreation in Nebraska.  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.