Letters

Appendix J: Thank You/ Reminder Letters page 6

Appendix J: Thank You/Reminder, Second Reminder, and Final Reminder Letters

Based on contact information provided during the initial contact, all survey respondents will be sent a “Thank you/Reminder” letter. Copies of these letters are included below. The same set of letters will be used for all user populations.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

National Park Service

College of Forest Resources

105 Anderson Hall, Box 352100

Seattle, WA 98195-2100

Summer 2008

Dear Glacier Bay Visitor,

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this survey of visitors to Glacier Bay National Park. This survey will provide park managers with information about visitors and their experiences. This information is important for making good planning decisions.

We are contacting a sample of visitors to ask about their experiences in Glacier Bay. Because only a select number of visitors were contacted, we need to hear about your trip so that our survey data will be as accurate as possible. The survey takes about 25 minutes to do and is voluntary.

When you are finished with the questionnaire, place it in the pre-addressed, stamped envelope and drop in any mailbox. Do not place your name anywhere on the questionnaire. An identification number is included on the questionnaire so we may check your name off the mailing list when you return the questionnaire. We will not place your name on the questionnaire or include it with your responses. The link between your name and the identification number will be destroyed in March 2009. Keeping your responses anonymous is important to us.

In one week you will receive a letter thanking you for returning your survey or reminding you to complete it. If we do not receive your questionnaire three weeks from now, we will send you another reminder. A final reminder will be sent out if we have not received your questionnaire in seven weeks. If you have any questions, or if you do not want us to re-contact you, please contact Jane Swanson at 206-685-9150.

Thank you for your assistance in this important project.

Sincerely,

Jane Swanson, Ph. D.

Principal Investigator

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Protected Area Social Research Unit

College of Forest Resources

105 Anderson Hall, Box 352100

Seattle, WA 98195-2100

Summer 2008

Dear Glacier Bay Visitor,

You recently received a questionnaire that provided an opportunity for you to report about your visit to Glacier Bay National Park.

If you have already completed the questionnaire and returned it, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please do so today. A select number of people were contacted for this survey, so your response is very important. We need to hear from the complete spectrum of visitors so that we can understand the full range of experiences people have in Glacier Bay National Park.

Completing the questionnaire is voluntary. If we do not receive your questionnaire in two weeks, we will send you a reminder. A final reminder will be sent if we have not received your questionnaire in six weeks. If you have any questions, did not receive a questionnaire, or if you do not want us to re-contact you, please contact Jane Swanson at 206-685-9150.

Thank you for your assistance in this important project.

Sincerely,

Jane Swanson, Ph. D.

Principal Investigator

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

National Park Service

College of Forest Resources

105 Anderson Hall, Box 352100

Seattle, WA 98195-2100

Summer 2008

Dear Glacier Bay Visitor,

About three weeks ago, we sent a questionnaire to you that asked about your experiences in Glacier Bay National Park. To the best of our knowledge, it has not been returned.

The responses of people who have already returned the questionnaire include a variety of experiences, both good and bad. We believe the results are going to be useful to park managers.

We are writing again because your questionnaire is very important in helping us to get accurate results. It is only by hearing from nearly everyone in the sample that we can be sure that the results are truly representative. For your convenience, we have included another copy.

An identification number is included on the questionnaire so we may check your name off the mailing list when you return the questionnaire. We will not place your name on the questionnaire or include it with your responses. The link between your name and the identification number will be destroyed in March 2009. Keeping your responses confidential is important to us.

Completing the questionnaire is voluntary. We hope that you will fill out and return your questionnaire soon. If we do not receive your questionnaire in four weeks, we will send you a final reminder. If you have any questions, or if you do not want us to re-contact you, please contact Jane Swanson at 206-685-9150.

Sincerely,

Jane Swanson, Ph. D.

Principal Investigator

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

National Park Service

College of Forest Resources

105 Anderson Hall, Box 352100

Seattle, WA 98195-2100

Summer 2008

Dear Glacier Bay Visitor,

During the last two months we have sent you several mailings about an important research study we are doing for Glacier Bay National Park. Its purpose is to help the park learn about their visitors and the experiences they have in the park. This information will help them with planning the future of the park.

The study is drawing to a close. We are concerned that people who have not responded may have different experiences than those who have responded. Hearing from everyone in this small sample of visitors helps the survey results be as accurate as possible.

We want to assure you that your response to this study is voluntary, and if you prefer not to respond that is fine. If you think that you have been mistakenly contacted, please return the blank questionnaire with a note saying so. This would be very helpful. If you have any questions or need another copy of the survey, please contact Jane Swanson at (206)-685-9150.

Finally, we appreciate your willingness to consider our request as we conclude this effort to learn more about visitors to Glacier Bay National Park. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Jane Swanson, Ph. D.

Principal Investigator