1024-0224_08-040_Expedited Review Form

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:

Blue Ridge Parkway: Rocky Knob Area Visitor Survey

04/24/2008

The National Park Service is seeking to conceptualize a sustainable tourism strategy for the
Rocky Knob area of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Floyd and Patrick Counties, Southwestern
Virginia). A multi-disciplinary team of researchers and extension specialists from Clemson
University and Virginia Tech will collaborate with the NPS to help meet this goal. This
research will (1) identify and inventory existing tourism assets, (2) determine tourism asset
gaps/needs, and (3) develop specific recommendations/ alternatives for tourism marketing
and sustainable economic development that enhance and respect the quality of life in the
region. Research to support creation of a sustainable tourism strategy will be accomplished
in two phases and actively involve key community stakeholders. This expedited approval
request is for the first of two phases of research. As part of this phase of research an on-site
survey will be conducted with approximately 400 visitors to Floyd and Patrick Counties
adjacent to the Rocky Knob area of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
(not to exceed 150 words)

3
.

Principal Investigator Contact Information
First Name:
Title:

Clemson University

Street Address:

280B Lehotsky Hall

Phone:
Email:

Last Name:

Hallo

SC

Zip
code:

Assistant Professor

Affiliation:

City:

4
.

Jeffrey

Clemson

State:

Fax:

864.656.3237

29634

864.656.2226

[email protected]

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information
First Name:

Gary

Title:

Chief of Resource Planning

Park:

Blue Ridge Parkway

Last Name:

Johnson

NC

Zip
code:

Park Office/Division:
Street Address:
City:

Phone:

199 Hemphill Knob Road

Asheville
(828) 271-4744 ext. 210

State:

Fax:

28804

Email:

[email protected]

Project Information
5.

Park(s) Where Research
is to be Conducted:

Blue Ridge Parkway

6.

Survey Dates:

07/01/2008

7.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)

8.

‰

Mail-Back
Questionnaire

‰

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

‰

On-Site
Questionnaire

(mm/dd/yyy
y)

‰

to

8/30/2009

Face-to-Face ‰
Interview

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Telephone Survey

‰

Focus
Groups

Legal Justification: The National Park Service Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16
USC 1, et seq., requires that the National Park Service (NPS) preserve the
national parks for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
At the field level, this means resource preservation, public education, facility
maintenance and operation, and physical developments that are necessary
for public use, health, and safety. This includes development of facilities
that may enhance the enjoyment of visitors’ experiences to parks and
surrounding communities. Other federal rules (National Environmental
Policy Act, 1969 and NPS guidelines) require visitor use data in impact
assessment of development on users and resources as part of each park's
general management plan.
Management Justification: The Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah
National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North
Carolina/Tennessee. It is the most visited unit in the National Park System.
Traversing 29 counties in two states, the Parkway is a scenic corridor that
serves as a "window" on the region, providing access to scores of
communities with cultural and natural resources that define this part of the
country. An important component of the Parkway experience is stopping to
visit local towns and communities along the route to enjoy the people, the
natural and historic sites, and the local flavor that is an integral part of a visit
to the area. To this end, the Parkway cooperates with the North Carolina
and Virginia tourism commissions, as well as with adjacent counties, to
promote an integrated tourism experience. The Parkway and its partners
have identified the Rocky Knob Area and adjacent counties in southern
Virginia as a high-priority area for cooperative tourism planning. The study
described here will be used to inform the planning and development of a
unique tourism centerpiece for the Rocky Knob Area and adjacent counties.
This tourism centerpiece is intended to better serve park visitors by
highlighting unique aspects of the Rocky Knob Area. In addition, the study
is intended to provide information to the NPS regarding ways to encourage
individuals visiting the surrounding area to visit the Parkway as well.
Providing for visitor use and enjoyment is a component of National Park
Service’s statutory mission.
More specifically, information gathered from this survey will be used to (1)
identify and inventory existing tourism assets, (2) determine tourism asset
gaps/needs, and (3) develop specific recommendations/ alternatives for
tourism marketing and sustainable economic development that enhance
and respect the quality of life in the Rocky Knob area of the Blue Ridge
Parkway. This information was requested by the NPS Blue Ridge Parkway

management staff to help assist with the development of a sustainable
tourism/destination centerpiece strategy for the Rocky Knob Area of the
Blue Ridge Parkway. The information obtained from this project will be
incorporated into the park's planning process for a future tourism/destination
centerpiece.
Literature Review: Previous studies conducted on use and tourism on the
Blue Ridge Parkway include:
(1) Blue Ridge Parkway Scenic Experience Project (S. Kask, L.
Mathews, S. Stewart, L. Rotegard))
(2) Factors of satisfaction: A case study of Explore Park (M. Uysal)
(3) Tourists' perceptions, behaviors and motivations toward the Blue
Ridge Parkway (R. Chen, G. Brothers, and L.Gustke)
(4) A comprehensive travel and tourism study of the Blue Ridge
Parkway (R. Chen, G. Brothers, and L.Gustke)
(5) Visitor and vehicle carrying capacity of Blue Ridge Parkway. (R.
Manning)
(6) Blue Ridge National Heritage Area – Surry County Heritage Tourism
Plan (NPS)
(7) Gravity model formulation for an extensive National Parkway Site
(G. Buhyoff, S. Williams, and D. Klemperer)
(8) Measurement of the economic vitality of the Blue Ridge National
Heritage Area (M. Evans, D. Davé, J. Stoddard, and I. Ha)
(9) An economic analysis of forest products and nature-based tourism
sectors in North Carolina (A. Murthy and F. Cubbage)
(10) Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Study (VSP). (Littlejohn, Margaret) Fall
2007 & Summer 2008.
These studies were not intended or designed to collect information on
tourism or tourism development in the Rocky Knob area of the Blue Ridge
Parkway. Specifically, no information currently exists about existing tourism
assets, their use, or tourism asset needs in the Rocky Knob area. The most
recent VSP studies that were conducted last fall and this summer are being
used to provide management information about visitor use, expectations,
and opinions along the entire Parkway. The current study will examine
these information gaps left by previous studies by specifically addressing
tourism (via question content and study design) in the Rocky Knob area.
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 (those people who live outside of
Floyd and Patrick counties), 18 years and older, to the Rocky Knob area of
the Blue Ridge Parkway, including Floyd and Patrick counties, Virginia,
between July 1, 2008 and August 30, 2009.
(b) Sampling plan/procedures:
The surveys will be distributed on-site with visitors to Floyd and Patrick
counties, VA, including the Rocky Knob area of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Survey participants will be recruited in person by having a trained
interviewer ask visitors if they would complete a survey. Survey participants
will be intercepted while stopped at Mabry Mill parking lot on the Blue Ridge
Parkway, Devil’s Backbone Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and along
the main street in the business districts of Floyd and Stuart, VA.
Participants will be instructed to complete the survey after they leave the
Rocky Knob area and to return it using a self-addressed stamped envelope
provided to them by the survey administrator.
All surveys will be self-administered. However, a trained surveyor will
randomly select respondents and will be available to assist respondents if

needed. The surveyor will distribute the surveys at the intercept locations
noted above. A systematic sampling protocol of asking every 5th visitor
group to participate, then choosing the person from this group with the most
recent birthday will be used to select survey respondents. Each respondent
will be asked a screening question to prevent multiple responses from the
same visitor. A surveyor will station him/herself at one of the intercept
locations at normal times for visitor use. The surveyor will contact a total of
570 visitors to ask them to participate in the study, and 400 are expected to
agree to participate.
Research shows that there is a systematic tendency for the last categories
in questions with long lists to have higher item non-response because they
are near the end of the list. A standard way to deal with this is to have two
versions of the survey that reverses the order of items in the list. This
approach will be used here. Two versions of the survey will be used.
These versions will be the same in every respect other than the order of
items listed in Questions 9, 10, 12, and 15. The order of items appearing in
these questions will be reversed. The version of the survey distributed will
be alternated so that equal number of respondents will receive each
version.
(c) Instrument administration:
The survey administration for this study 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 180 previous NPS studies.
The initial contact with visitors to explain the study and determine if visitors
are interested in participating (see script below) takes approximately 1
minute. The number of visitor groups who refuse are recorded and used in
calculating response rates. Visitors who voluntarily agree to participate in
the study are verbally given a short front-end interview (1 additional minute)
to collect information used in a non-response bias check. They are also
asked to record their name, address and phone number/email address. If a
group agrees to participate, the researcher will give the survey to the
individual within the group who has the next birthday. Participants will be
given a stamped, addressed questionnaire to complete and return.
Participants will be mailed a thank you/reminder post card 11 working days
after the initial contact. If the thank you/reminder post card proves
unsuccessful, a reminder letter with a stamped, addressed replacement
questionnaire will be sent 21 working days after the initial contact. A second
reminder letter will be mailed after 35 working days with a stamped,
addressed questionnaire. Visitors to Floyd and Patrick Counties, Virginia
will be approached by a surveyor and asked to participate in the study. The
surveyor will use the following script to guide this introduction:
Surveyor Script (italicized text):
Hi, my name is ________________. I’m from Clemson University. We’re
conducting a study for the National Park Service and the Blue Ridge
Parkway to gather information about tourism in Floyd and Patrick Counties
of Virginia. If you take a mail-back questionnaire, we will want you to send it
back to us completed. It takes about 15 minutes to complete after your visit.
Would you be willing to fill out a questionnaire after you leave today and
mail it back? Participation is voluntary and your responses will be
anonymous.
If No: OK. Thank you for your time so far. Have a good day.

If Yes: Thank you. Do you live outside of Floyd or Patrick counties?
If Yes: OK. Here’s the survey for you to complete. So the we can
thank you (and remind you to mail back the questionnaire), please
provide your name, address and phone number. Thank you. Be sure to
mail the questionnaire—your opinions are important!
If No: OK. Thank you for agreeing to participate, but we’re only
surveying visitors who live outside of these counties. Thank you for
your time so far.
(d) Expected response rate/confidence levels:

Based on the park’s visitation data and the number of days of surveying,
approximately 570 groups will be contacted over the sampling period, and it
is expected that approximately 513 of these will accept the questionnaires,
and 400 will return them. This produces an overall response rate of 74%.
This expected response rate is based upon similar study response rates
(Cuyahoga Valley NP 2005, 76% and Zion NP 2006, 74%, Blue Ridge
Parkway 2007 74%).
Study findings are estimated to be accurate within 5 percentage points,
based on a sample size of approximately 400 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., gender, 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 and graduate students, and park
and regional staff, and are similar to questions used in several other park or
tourism surveys. Findings from these types of questions have been used by
park and tourism managers and have been published in the peer-reviewed
scientific literature.
10.

13.

Total Number of
Expected Respondents:

Reporting Plan:

400

11
.

Estimated Time to
Complete
Instrument (mins.):

15

12
.

Total
Burden
Hours:

100

The results of this information collection activity will be presented in an
internal agency report and will be available upon request. The key estimates
that will be derived from the data collected will be descriptive in nature,
primarily measures of central tendency (mean and median), dispersion
(standard deviation), and frequency distributions. A copy of the technical
study report will be archived with the Social Science Program of the National
Park Service.