Millions of national park visitors generate economic opportunities for gateway communities, spending money that creates jobs and income. See the trends for every national park service unit.
Alaska
New research shows where wildfire mitigation can be highly cost effective
The United States is spending billions of dollars on suppressing wildfires that threaten a growing number of homes, but very little on better preparing communities before a wildfire occurs.
Trails on Tribal Lands in the United States
This study found that the benefits of trails in Indian Country may be more significant than in other communities that are less culturally or spatially fragmented, less politically and economically marginalized, or less culturally tied to the landscape. Trails can provide particularly valuable benefits to residents of Indian Country, helping to improve residents’ quality of life in several dimensions: connecting tribal members to each other and to culturally significant sites and natural resources; providing safe alternative transportation routes across the reservation; providing opportunities for safe exercise; and providing opportunities for economic development and cultural education.
The Tongass Transition Framework: A New Path Forward?
This report examines whether the Tongass Transition Framework, which proposed a “new path forward,” is working to enhance economic opportunities in southeast Alaska while conserving the National Forest.
Sitka, Alaska Workshop
Headwaters Economics facilitated a day-long workshop on how to apply the Forest Service’s new Integrated Resource Management approach on the Sitka Ranger District.
The Changing Economy of Southeast Alaska
Headwaters Economics is working with the Tongass Futures Roundtable to better understand Southeast Alaska’s economy.