The central question for the future of the Sandhills is this: How can the region develop an economy that helps its residents thrive while preserving its unique grassland environment? The Sandhills comprise about 25 percent of the land area of Nebraska, but its residents constitute only 1.2 percent of Nebraska’s population and generate about 1.4 percent of the state’s gross domestic product. Our answer to the question of the Sandhills’ future is that its residents should build an economy powered by two primary export industries, ranching and ecotourism, supported by the numerous secondary industries that assist them and sustain the region’s residents.
The Sandhills are widely acknowledged to be a special and precious place. But the very attributes that make it unique and treasured—its remoteness, its fragile ecology, its low population density, its lack of a dense
built infrastructure—make it problematical for attracting industries that employ large numbers of workers, need easy transportation in and out, and have other typical industrial requirements. Ranching and ecotourism build upon the Sandhills’ special character, turning its attributes into strengths, rather than attempting to remedy perceived deficits.
Ranching
Ranching has been the region’s dominant economic activity since Euro-American settlement began in the nineteenth century. Most common is raising cattle, but there was significant sheep ranching and raising of horses between 1900 and 1930, and since about 2000, bison ranching has been added. The region has seen only minimal farming; in Cherry County, for example, less than 2 percent of the land is used for row crops, virtually all of it irrigated.
Ranching—whether cattle, bison, or something else—is recommended because of its historical and heritage roots, its present economic vitality, and its crucial role in sustaining the grassland. Range scientists tell us that the grasslands evolved with major ungulates and that maintaining a healthy grassland requires grazing. Current owners of most land in the Sandhills are thus simultaneously ranchers and environmental stewards, and both by their own history and current preferences wish to continue. Their deep knowledge of and care for the land is one of the Sandhills’ greatest resources, and their future involvement will be essential for preserving the Sandhills.
Cattle production is vulnerable to a boom-and-bust cycle, and new factors, such as climate change and shifting consumer preferences, may force significant adaptations in traditional cattle ranching. Many producers respond to these forces by seeking ever-lower-cost production methods, but some are exploring more high-profit and environmentally supportive production. Such production may involve niche grazers, such as high-end (e.g., wagyu) and grass-fed cattle, bison, other grazers for specialty markets, and more direct rancher-to-consumer sales.
Ranching, like all occupations, can be done well—that is, sustainably, based on long-term vision—or poorly, with insufficient care for the consequences of short-term, careless, and destructive techniques. Fortunately, many area ranchers have a growing interest in grazing innovations that support grassland health and even devote special attention to preserving wildlife habitat.
Ecotourism
Ecotourism—travel that deepens the visitor’s engagement with nature, conserves the environment, and improves the well-being of local communities—offers landowners the opportunity to gain a second revenue source (after grazing) that is compatible with ranching and profits from the ranchers’ biggest existing asset, their land. In effect, it creates a second “crop” each year on the same land.
Ecotourism in the Sandhills is a promising business opportunity because of the region’s incredible natural endowment. Hiking to the top of a grassy dune in the heart of the Sandhills to see rolling hills stretching out for miles instills a sense of awe. Catching a glimpse of a pronghorn, taking in the dark night sky, or watching a prairie-chicken dance shows us a landscape that is alive and vital. The region provides critical habitat to some two-hundred-plus species of birds. Jane Goodall, a frequent visitor to see the sandhill crane migration, calls it “one of the seven wonders of the natural world.” The Sandhills are filled with biodiversity, crucial habitats, and exceptional opportunities for visitors to have fun while deeply engaging with nature.
Tourists travel for many reasons, and even before the founding of national parks, people traveled to the Sandhills to immerse themselves in its nature. Today, many of us lead most of our lives indoors, yet somewhere deep in our psyches we know that being outside in the open air brings many benefits—physical, mental, and spiritual. And as concern for the health of our planet increases, people often want their travel to have deeper ecological meaning. Ecotourism is today’s version of following John Muir into the High Sierra or John Wesley Powell down the Colorado River. But unlike Muir or Powell, most of us come from walks of life where we cannot devote months and years to nature. Ecotourism offers a way into their world.
How ecotourism promotes conservation is simple but sometimes overlooked: If ranchers and other landowners want to attract ecotourists, they must provide protected habitat and sufficient wildlife to create memorable environmental experiences. Ecotourists arrive and spend money for access, lodging, food, guides, tours, and other services offered by landowners and others in the nearby communities. And the cycle is completed when ranchers and landowners see they have an economic incentive and reap an economic reward for maintaining habitat and protecting the wildlife that attracted the ecotourists.
We can already see the growth of this nascent industry throughout the Sandhills. On the region’s southern edge, the annual sandhill crane migration demonstrates what is possible. Upon reaching Kearney, visitors are greeted by a sign reading “Sandhill Crane Capital of the World.” Kearney and the nearby communities of Gibbon and Wood River have constructed viewing sites, hospitality facilities, and support services, which accommodate the crowds streaming in from across the country.
A bit farther to the north, deeper into the Sandhills, Calamus Outfitters is a great example in showing how cattle and ecotourism work together to sustain multiple generations on the Switzer Ranch. The family business offers engaging educational tours of the landscape, often centered on the springtime mating dance of the prairie-chickens and sharp-tailed grouse. At the same time, visitors get to see and learn about the cattle operation and relax on the beautiful landscape.
In another example, the annual Nebraska Star Party gathers hundreds of amateur astronomers in the Sandhills. They take advantage of some of the darkest night skies in the country to gain a clearer view of stars, planets, and the Milky Way. The local community takes steps to ensure light pollution is minimized to keep these groups coming back. The vast landscape is accompanied by a dazzling night sky.
Ecotourism operations draw upon a wide range of ancillary services, creating a “multiplier effect” of business opportunities. We have already seen Valentine, Chadron, Alliance, and other towns develop hotels, restaurants, guiding services, booking agencies, catering firms, bus and other transport companies, and additional enterprises to serve the growing trade. These businesses create local jobs.
For Sandhills residents to thrive, ecotourism and other nature-dependent activities must aim to provide high-quality, transformative environmental experiences rather than just a low-cost place to recreate. It does little to promote regional prosperity (nor does it typically enhance environmental awareness) when travelers gas up their vehicles in Denver or Omaha, bring food and supplies with them, and spend few dollars in the area. Visitors who arrive from afar, whether from California, Chicago, or Frankfurt, tend to stay the longest and spend the most money. Just as in ranching, where the most innovative operations are moving toward high-value-added activities rather than lowest cost commodity production, so too in ecotourism, the better strategy is to provide visitors with memorable, even life-changing experiences, for which they are happy to pay a premium price.
Other Nature-Based or Nature-Related Industries
Ecotourism is not the only way the region’s residents can take advantage of its unique nature resources, and we see business and employment growth in related pursuits as well. While not necessarily as environmentally supportive as ecotourism, these activities when developed responsibly can also be consistent with a long-term, sustainable vision for the region.
Some of these related activities add further attractions for visitors, enhancing the Sandhills as a tourist destination. Offering different kinds of activities is critical for attracting high-value visitors coming from a great distance. Having made a long trip, they often seek more than one type of experience. Recently developed high-end golf courses use the region’s sand dunes to mimic links courses. Many ranches offer hunting and fishing, activities that generate substantial income in the area. Other enterprises, such as Sandhill River Trips in Thedford, Glidden Canoe Rental in Mullen, and the annual Burwell Rodeo offer recreational opportunities. Visitors interested in the region’s culture and history can visit the Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron and the Knight Museum and Sandhills Center in Alliance, or for a short drive outside the region, Pioneer Village in Minden or the internationally famous Willa Cather Foundation in Red Cloud. These and other varied enterprises work together to create a rich portfolio from which visitors can choose their activities and experiences, greatly enhancing the Sandhills’ attraction to tourists.
Another category of potential nature-based economic opportunities grows out of the environmental services that the Sandhills do or could provide to the state and nation. If federal or state legislation recognized and paid for the value of these services, the region would gain additional revenue flows. The Sandhills are already a crucial link in providing high-quality water to Lincoln and Omaha, for example. So, too, as climate change grows more damaging, carbon sequestration in grasslands may become more pressing and a social benefit the rest of society may find worth paying for. These are environmental services currently supplied by the Sandhills for which the region is not compensated. Whether they can become significant sources of revenue flowing into the region is unclear.
We lack detailed data on the current structure of the Sandhills economy, including the economic impact of nature-based tourism in the region. There are, however, a few numbers that might provide some insight. A recent study found that the economic impact of the 2017 sandhill crane migration was $14.7 million. More generally, tourism is still just a small portion of the area’s current total economic activity, especially compared to cattle production.
Regarding the potential for growth, ecotourism appears to offer greater opportunities for future growth, due to societal trend toward services rather than goods and toward more engagement-intensive tourism. By contrast, cattle production would appear to have more limited growth potential, given the societal trend away from red meat. Cattle ranching in the Sandhills will remain very significant but likely with limited growth potential. National and international market demand for Sandhills beef, ecotourism services, and other exportable goods and services will determine the region’s future development. But it is an extremely fortunate circumstance for Sandhills residents that their current largest industry and their best future-growth industry are so highly compatible in their operations. The two may even work together to smooth out each other’s cyclical fluctuations.
The Sandhills region is blessed with a unique and precious grassland environment and dedicated, hard-working, and talented residents. Its major occupation, reaching back to the earliest days of white settlement and continuing to the present, has been raising cattle. Ranching is a pursuit deeply entrenched in the residents’ skills, identity, and culture. That will continue. Already we see those residents discovering new and innovative pursuits, such as ecotourism, which both protect the environment they are so proud of and add new revenue streams to bolster their ability to thrive economically. Realizing this vision will call on the best of the Sandhills’ local leadership.