COOS BAY, Ore. -- A system of little-known public lands protecting sensitive coastal habitats generates big economic impacts for local communities, according to a new study, which looked at four sites of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.

The reserves are open to the public and provide a platform for research.

The South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve near Coos Bay, which was the first reserve in the system, generates more than $6 million in revenue a year.

Pete Wiley, an economist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains how.

"Each research reserve spends money on its operations and maintenance," Wiley pointed out. "Each reserve has visitors that come for the educational programming or recreational opportunities, and those visitors spend money in the local community."

The South Slough supports 65 jobs and brings in close to 10,000 visitors each year. The study was commissioned by NOAA and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Oregon reserve and three Florida reserves in the study are estimated to generate more than $165 million in annual revenue for their communities, including more than $55 million in wages for more than 1,700 jobs.

Bree Yednock, manager of the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, said the economics are valuable, but noted the benefits of the region go beyond what's shown in this study.

"South Slough Reserve, we know from our water quality monitoring program, results in clean water, and that in turn supports a thriving oyster aquaculture industry," Yednock outlined. "We know that the projects that we do on the reserve to restore habitat creates important habitat for commercially and recreationally important species. For us, that's salmon and that's Dungeness crab."

Yednock added scientists at the reserve also study the effects of climate change and conduct sustainability research. The national system protects 29 ecologically sensitive areas in 23 states and Puerto Rico. At least three other states could join the system with their own reserves soon.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Admission to any state park in Nevada is free this coming Saturday, as part of the first Nevada Public Lands Week - with a series of online and in-person events showcasing Nevada's natural heritage.

The events are listed online at 'NevadaPublicLandsDay.com.'

Will Pregman, communications director for the Institute for a Progressive Nevada, said public lands are the backbone of the outdoor economy, which generates $12.5 billion in economic activity every year.

"The outdoor recreation industry supports tens of thousands of jobs," said Pregman. "So it's both an economic incentive and an environmental incentive to protect these lands and make sure that they're preserved for generations to come."

On Tuesday night, the topic of an interactive town hall is the need to use funds from the American Rescue Plan on conservation projects, given the record-breaking heat, raging wildfires and a water shortage at Lake Mead.

And on Saturday, groups are hosting a trash pick-up at Mountain's Edge Regional Park in Las Vegas.

Gov. Steve Sisolak recently signed an executive order to prioritize wildlife corridors, and the Legislature passed a resolution supporting the Biden administration's goal of preserving 30% of the country's land by the year 2030.

Pregman said everyday Nevadans play a big part as well.

"These things are valuable and will continue to be preserved," said Pregman, "as long as there are people out there who know about it, and understand it and care about it."

Native American tribes and conservation groups are also pressing for the creation of a national monument at Spirit Mountain outside of Laughlin, known as Avi Kwa Ame.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The National Association of State Foresters was formed in 1920, with its first meeting in Harrisburg amid an increase in large wildfires throughout the country. One hundred and one years later, it met back in Pennsylvania to learn best practices to help fight forest-health issues similar to what they saw a century ago.

Because of the pandemic, last year's conference went virtual. State foresters just wrapped up their 2021 in-person meeting in Pittsburgh with the last 100 years on their mind.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the state battled many wildfires, reducing the extent of once common tree species. State forester Ellen Shultzabarger said the lessons of the past can help inform the future of how we maintain forests.

"So we were talking about forest health 100 years ago," said Shultzabarger. "Forests and these pests and these issues don't just stay within boundaries, and it's extremely important for us to work with our neighboring states and with our partners to really be effective in having good forest management moving forward."

Forests cover nearly 60% of Pennsylvania. The state recently released its once-a-decade Forest Action Plan that assessed forest conditions and long-term sustainability goals.

Connecticut State Forester Chris Martin said the collaboration between state foresters is critical for preparing for extreme weather events as they become more common.

Martin said foresters in the Northeast learned from those in the South about their Urban Forestry Strike Teams, which deploy arborists to evaluate trees hit by storms to help FEMA make decisions on whether damaged trees need to be removed or will recover on their own.

"That's a huge benefit financially to FEMA," said Martin. "Because when you take a tree down, it's far more expensive than if you have to take a couple limbs off and to make it safe and let the tree respond healthily. That's been something that's been working in southern states for several years, one of my takeaways that I wanna see happen in the Northeast."

Among the policy decisions made at the conference include the approval of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, to protect forests from threatening invasive species.

JACKSON, Wyo. -- A report published today focuses on data-driven efforts to conserve big-game migration in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Sportsmen organizations hope the findings can help guide decision-making as the U.S. Forest Service prepares to revise its 31-year-old management plan.

Bridger-Teton's 3.4 million acres of public land play an important role in seasonal migration for species such as elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep and more.

Joy Bannon, field and policy director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, said GPS technology has made it easier to track animal migration patterns and make suggestions on improvements to habitat conservation.

"Is there a fence, for example, that isn't wildlife-friendly, that we can make wildlife-friendly?" Bannon proposed. "Timber harvesting is utilized as a benefit and certain breaks for these animals as well. There's a lot of interesting pieces to this assessment that will help not only the users of the land but also the land managers putting that management onto the ground."

Bridger-Teton, located in northwestern Wyoming, is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the biggest, intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states. The Forest Service recently announced the management plan revision process will start in Fiscal Year 2023.

Another solution proposed in the report includes creating timing restrictions for vehicles to avoid disturbing migrating wildlife.

Nick Dobric, Wyoming field manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said migration is key to sustaining wildlife abundance, particularly for finding food along their route.

"If a species is able to migrate, they're able to take advantage of those different habitats in the summer, and the winter, and in those transitional times in the fall and the spring," Dobric explained. "Science has shown that if a herd migrates, it's going to have more numbers than one that does not and, generally, it's going to do better overall."

The report also suggested some prescribed burning could be helpful with enhancing forage production, along with concentrating recreational activities during migration periods.