NPCA: Scotts Bluff National Monument needs upgrades
LINCOLN — After more than 90 years, Scotts Bluff National Monument is showing its age.
The western Nebraska monument needs increased funding and staffing to protect its resources, according to a report by the National Parks Conservation Association.
Deferred maintenance costs alone currently top $1.6 million, said Lynn McClure, Midwest regional director for the conservation group.
The report also calls for expanding the national monument's boundaries to include nearby historic features and to protect and restore prairie habitat.
Scotts Bluff National Monument was created in 1919 to preserve the history of the early settlers on the Oregon Trail, who used the bluff as a landmark in their migration west in the mid-19th century. The park's visitor center was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and needs major repairs.
“The visitor center is very crowded, and we really don't have enough room to adequately tell the story of the Oregon Trail,'' said Kevin Howard, Scotts Bluff County tourism director.