Niobrara Valley Preserve is a 56,000-acre conservation area in north-central Nebraska along the Niobrara River, where a long human history meets an unusual ecological landscape. Once used by bison, prairie wildlife, Native peoples, ranchers, and homesteaders, the valley remained largely in large cattle ranches before The Nature Conservancy acquired the preserve in 1980. Its significance lies in being a biological crossroads where forests and prairies overlap, supporting hundreds of species. Management uses grazing, fire, and reintroduced bison to restore natural processes, while public recreation on trails and the river also makes the area important to the local economy.