Over the weekend, Nevada's Lehman Caves celebrated its 100th anniversary as a national monument. Supporters behind a proposal to add another monument in the state hope the observations serve as a reminder of the need to preserve public lands.

The proposed monument - south of Las Vegas - would be called Avi Kwa Ame, which is the Mojave Tribe's term for Spirit Mountain.

Paul Selberg, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, said establishing these 450,000 acres as a federally protected site would balance a range of goals amid the climate crisis.

"Heeding the call and serving as a prime, shining example of how future investments can protect our lands," said Selberg, "respect Indigenous efforts and also support economic growth."

The land is considered sacred to a dozen Indigenous tribes. Supporters say preserving it also would benefit the state's economy through a variety of recreational activities, such as hiking.

The coalition backing the plan is hoping for either Congress or the Biden administration to take action on the idea. Members held talks with federal officials in recent days.

Taylor Patterson, executive director of the Native Voters Alliance, said the urgency behind this effort is due in part to shield the land from proposed renewable energy projects.

"It's important to know nobody in this process is against renewable energy," said Patterson. "We all want to see renewable energy goals met. But there is an appropriate place, for wind and for solar."

She said these lands are not that place.

Opponents have noted the area already has some federal protections. However, a national monument designation would preclude any future commercial development.

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

Conservation groups say more needs to be done to protect the natural and cultural resources of Utah's Labyrinth Canyon from off-road vehicles.

The Bureau of Land Management is taking comments until Oct. 7 on a draft travel management plan for the Labyrinth Canyon and Gemini Bridges area outside of Moab.

Laura Peterson, a staff attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, said more than 1,200 miles of off-road vehicle routes blanket the area.

"Motorized vehicles are allowed in certain parts along the river and in a number of side canyons," she said, "and that really impacts riparian areas, habitat, soils, vegetation, but also the experience on the river as well."

The BLM has released four plan options for determining vehicle use in the areas for decades to come. Peterson contended that the plan known as "Alternative B" is the only one that would protect the entire river corridor while reducing the route density in Gold Bar Rim, Deadman Point, Day Canyon and other pristine areas.

There are 40 miles of the Green River running within Labyrinth Canyon. Peterson noted that it's a designated Wild and Scenic River for its recreational, scenic, ecological and cultural values.

"It's one of the few places in the West where you have a flatwater wilderness experience. And it's this unique situation, where the Emery County side of the river is protected wilderness and the Grand County side is not," she said. "And so, that makes for disparate management on either side."

According to the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, more than 94% of land within the Labyrinth Canyon and Gemini Bridges area is within a half mile of a designated off-road vehicle route. Peterson said reducing route density and minimizing user conflicts is important for those seeking quiet recreation in the area.

As California's children settle into the new school year, about 1,500 students will soon take the field trip of a lifetime to see the giant redwoods.

The nonprofit Save the Redwoods League works with schools from Santa Cruz up to Humboldt.

Emily Wiberg, a fourth grade math teacher at Achieve Academy in Oakland, said the day trip to Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is a game-changer for children from under-resourced communities.

"For the majority of them, it's their first time being out in nature," Wiberg pointed out. "It's really exciting to see them getting their hands dirty and exploring."

Wiberg's class also takes part in the watershed program at Crab Cove, in partnership with the East Bay Regional Park District. There, children put on waders and examine the marine ecosystem. Trips for junior high and high school students focus more on scientific data collection.

Deborah Zierten, education manager for the Save the Redwoods League, said the program promotes diversity, equity and inclusion by creating opportunities in all communities.

"We try and provide free bus transportation, or if they're able to provide buses, we always provide free instruction when we get to the forest," Zierten explained. "We don't want to charge because we don't want that to be a barrier."

The program hopes to inspire students to consider careers in forestry and natural-resource management. And it teaches students about threats to the watershed and old-growth forests such as development, wildfires, and drought linked to climate change.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins this week and runs through mid-October, and conservation groups are encouraging people to celebrate by getting the family out to enjoy our public lands.

In Southern California, for example, Hispanic Access Foundation is sponsoring a stargazing event in Frazier Park for Hispanic pastors on Sept. 30.

Juan Rosas, a conservation program associate for the foundation, wants to dispel the myth Hispanics do not value public lands.

"To be able to enjoy God's creation is really important to our people," Rosas explained. "What a great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and getting people to the great outdoors and bringing awareness to the great need here in California."

The stargazing event is intended to promote the PUBLIC Lands Act, which would protect 1.5 million acres of land in California. It passed the U.S. House, but has stalled in the Senate.

Census data show 39% of Californians are Latino, making it the largest ethnic group in the state. The population grew by 1.6 million people or more than 11%, between 2010 and 2020, which accounted for more than two-thirds of the state's total population increase.

Rosas noted California has many stunning state and national parks, but low-income families have a hard time getting there because they are often far from urban areas, and public transportation is spotty.

"In our beautiful state, we do have Joshua Tree, we have Big Bear, we have all these beautiful beaches, if you have a good car," Rosas pointed out. "But most of us are living in neighborhoods that are very nature-deprived."

Nationally, Latinos make up 18.5% of the population and are expected to hit 24% by 2065.