Expedited Request for Visitor Survey - Cumberland Island National Seashore

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Social Science Program

Expedited Approval for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys
1.

Project Title ⎢
Submission Date:

2.

Abstract:

Visitor management and transportation system use at
Cumberland Island National Seashore – Phase II

The purpose of this study is to gather information that will help support visitor
management, carrying capacity, and transportation system decisions at Cumberland
Island National Seashore. A quantitative survey of both general visitors and
wilderness visitors will be conducted to 1) assess visitor opinions regarding their
experiences and a range of related potential management alternatives at this site, 2)
assess visitor opinions regarding the design of planned transportation services, and 3)
gather data to help formulate standards of quality for the visitor experience. The
survey will be conducted onsite with visitors who do not receive a wilderness permit,
and as a mail survey with visitors who do receive a wilderness permit.
Approximately 500 surveys will be conducted. This survey is the second phase of a
two-phase project; the survey content is informed by results from a Phase I survey
approved as OMB Number: 1024-0224 (NPS # 09-009)
(not to exceed 150 words)

3.

Principal Investigator Contact Information
First Name:
Title:
Affiliation:
Street Address:

City:

4.

Last Name:

Jeffrey

Hallo

Assistant Professor
Clemson University
280B Lehotsky Hall, Clemson
University
Clemson

State:

Phone:

(864) 656-3237

Email:

[email protected]

Fax:

SC

Zip code:

29634

(864) 656-2226

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information
First Name:

Last Name:

John

Title:

Chief, Resource Management

Park:

Cumberland Island National
Seashore

Park
Office/Division:

Resource Management

Street Address:

107 St Mary’s Road

City:

1/11/2011

St. Mary’s

State:

GA

Fry

Zip code:

31558

Phone:

912-882-4336

Email:

[email protected]

Fax:

912-882-5688

Project Information
5.

Park(s) Where Research
is to be Conducted:

Cumberland Island National Seashore

6.

Survey Dates:

2/28/2011

7.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)
X Mail-Back Questionnaire
‰

8.

(mm/dd/yyyy)

X On-Site Questionnaire

‰

to

Face-to-Face
Interview

12/31/2012

‰

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Telephone Survey

‰

Focus
Groups

Other (explain)
Survey Justification:
(Use as much space as
needed; if necessary
include additional
explanation on a
separate page.)

Social science research in support of park planning and management is mandated in
the NPS Management Policies 2006 (Section 8.11.1, “Social Science Studies”). The
NPS pursues a policy that facilitates social science studies in support of the NPS
mission to protect resources and enhance the enjoyment of present and future
generations (National Park Service Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16 USC 1, et seq.).
NPS policy mandates that social science research will be used to provide an
understanding of park visitors, the non-visiting public, gateway communities and
regions, and human interactions with park resources. Such studies are needed to
provide a scientific basis for park planning, development, operations, management,
education, and interpretive activities.
Management Justification: Recent legislation requires the development of a public
transportation system within Cumberland Island National Seashore (P.L. 108-447,
Sect. 145). The information collected in this study will enhance current park
planning and management efforts by determining visitor preferences and use levels
for the planned transportation system. Also, little empirical information exists
regarding the trip characteristics, needs, and attitudes of visitors to CUIS. This
research will provide such information and help guide planning efforts to design
and operate a transportation system in a manner that protects the quality of the
visitor experience while providing visitors greater access to Cumberland Island.
Previous studies conducted on visitor use (or social science-related studies in
general) at CUIS are limited. The following studies have been published:
(1) Brooks, J., R. Warren, M. Nelms, and M. Tarrant. (1999). Visitor attitudes
toward and knowledge of restored bobcats on Cumberland Island National
Seashore, Georgia. Wildlife Society Bulliten, vol. 27, no. 4
(2) Littlejohn, M. (1999) Cumberland Island National Seashore Visitor Study,
Spring 1998, Report 103. Cooperative Park Studies Unit, University of
Idaho.
These studies were not intended or designed to collect information on visitor
experiences and attitudes toward management alternatives, standards of quality, or
the design of soon-to-be-implemented transportation system. No information exists
from previous research on these topics. The proposed study will attempt to fill
these information gaps.

9.

Survey Methodology:
(Use as much space as
needed; if necessary
include additional
explanation on a
separate page.)

(a) Respondent universe:
The sample universe will be all visitors who are (1) visiting Cumberland Island
National Park (2) age 18 or older, and (3) are at the park between February 28,
2011 and December 31, 2012.
(b) Sampling plan/procedures:
On-site Survey

Approximately 250 self-administered surveys will be conducted on-site with
visitors. A random systematic sampling protocol (e.g., after a random start, asking
every nth visitor group departing at the CUIS ferry dock) will be used to select
respondents. Visitors will be intercepted as they depart at the ferry dock on
Cumberland Island. The survey will be self-administered, although the researcher
will be available to assist respondents if needed. One individual will be selected
from each group to complete the survey. This individual will be chosen from the
group by selecting the person with the most recent birthday. If the individual
chosen or the group refuses to participate in the survey, then the next eligible group
to arrive at the ferry dock or to board the ferry will be asked to participate.
Sampling will occur on approximately 14 days during this time period, in 7 day
segments. These two segments will occur in the Spring, (March/April) and
Summer (July/August). The proportion of the surveys collected during each period
to the total 250 survey collected will be equal to the proportion of visitor use during
that timeframe to total CUIS visitation. All contacts with visitors will be made by
research staff from Clemson University and the University of Vermont.
Mail Survey
An almost identical survey will be conducted by mail with 250 Cumberland Island
visitors who received a wilderness/backcountry camping permit. A list of
wilderness/backcountry camping permit holders (and their contact information) will
be provided by CUIS staff. Research staff from Clemson University and the
University of Vermont will then send surveys to all of these past permit holders
(approximately 500). The wilderness survey will be mailed to past permit holders in
Spring 2011. Wilderness survey participants will be asked to return the survey by
mail in a self-addressed stamped envelope. A follow-up postcard and reminder
letter will be sent to those who received a wilderness survey. The survey
administration for this mail-back survey is based upon Dillman's Tailored Design
Method (TDM). The TDM has been shown to increase response rates, improve
accuracy, and reduce cost and burden hours. The TDM has been successfully used
in over 200 previous NPS studies. A mail format for the wilderness survey is
necessary because wilderness use levels are relatively low and intercepting an
adequate sample of wilderness visitors on-site is impractical.
(c) Instrument administration:
For the on-site survey, park visitors will be approached by university research staff
and asked to participate in the study. University research staff will be on-site
during each of the three, week-long sampling segments.
The following script will guide the introduction:
Hi, my name is ________________. I’m from Clemson University. We’re helping
the National Park Service gather information to guide visitor use management and
development of a transportation system at Cumberland Island National Seashore.
Would you be willing to fill out a questionnaire about your experience at
Cumberland Island National Seashore? Participation is voluntary and your
responses will be anonymous. The questionnaire will take about twenty minutes.
If No: OK. Thank you for your time. Have a good day.
If “yes”: OK. Thank you for agreeing to participate. Here is the survey for you to

fill out. Please return it to me when you’ve completed it.
The wilderness survey will be distributed by mail. University research staff will
distribute and collect all wilderness surveys. An initial mailing will be sent to ask
for participation in the study by completing and returning an enclosed
questionnaire. This will be followed 7 days later by a post-card reminder, a second
mailing with replacement questionnaire in another 2-3 weeks, and a final mailing
with a replacement questionnaire in another 2-3 weeks. This process follows the
TDM described above. The text of each mailing is included in a separate file.
(d) Expected response rate/confidence levels:

The sample size for the on-site visitor survey will be 250. Based on previous
experience in conducting similar data gathering, it is expected that 90% of
individuals approached will be willing to participate in the survey. [The first phase
visitor survey at CUIS - OMB Number: 1024-0224 (NPS # 09-009) – had a
response rate of 94.8%]. This suggests that 278 visitors need to be approached and
asked to participate in the visitor survey.
The sample size for the wilderness mail survey will be 250. Based on previous
experience in conducting similar data gathering, it is expected that 60% of
individuals contacted by mail will be willing to participate in the survey. [The first
phase wilderness visitor survey at CUIS - OMB Number: 1024-0224 (NPS # 09009) – had a response rate of 67.3%]. This suggests that 417
wilderness/backcountry permit holders will need to be contacted by mail and asked
to participate in the study.
Study findings for each survey are estimated to be accurate within 6.2 percentage
points, based on a sample size of approximately 250 surveys and using a 95%
confidence level.
(e) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
The number, date, and time of refusals will be recorded and reported on a survey
log. Non-response bias will be examined by comparing selected observable
characteristics of the sample population with characteristics observed and recorded
in every group contacted (e.g., group type, group size, presence or absence of
children). If given, the reasons for refusals (e.g., lack of time, not interested,
language, etc.) will also be noted. The results of the check for non-response bias
will be reported, and implications for interpretation of the results (if any) will be
discussed.
(f) Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument
(recommended):

The questions included in these surveys have been designed and reviewed by the
principal investigator, research staff, graduate students, and park and regional staff.
Many questions are similar to those used in surveys and interviews at other national
park areas. Findings from these types of questions have been used by park
managers and have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

10.

Total Number of
Initial Contacts

Expected
Respondents:

Onsite

Mail

278

417

250

250

11.

Estimated
Time to
Complete
Initial Contact
Estimated
Time to
Complete
Instrument
(mins.):

Onsite

Mail

1

5

12.

Burden
Hours

Initial
88
Expected
118

20

20
Total:

206

13.

Reporting Plan:

The results of this information collection activity will be presented in an internal
agency report and will be available upon request. Response frequencies,
distributions, measure of central tendency (e.g., mean and median), and measures of
variance (e.g., standard deviation) will be used to characterize and report survey
findings. Where appropriate, t-tests and ANOVA will be used to examine difference
in mean survey responses. Such differences will be examined between wilderness
and non-wilderness users. A copy of the technical study report will be archived with
the Social Science Program of the National Park Service for inclusion in the Social
Science Studies Collection.