MORA - NPS Expedited Form

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

  Expedited Approval for NPS­Sponsored Public Surveys 
1. 

Project Title⎢ 
Submission 
Date: 

Abstract: 

Understanding Transportation-related Effects on Visitor Experience
Quality in Mount Rainier and Denali National Parks

February 24, 2011

The purpose of this project is to conduct onsite surveys of visitors in Mount Rainier and
Denali National Parks to collect information on transportation-related effects on visitor
experiences, as well as visitors’ perceptions of and attitudes regarding transportation-related
impacts to visitor experience quality and park resources. The surveys (listed below) will be
conducted during the summer of 2011, and will be used to inform park planning and
management decisions, including the development of transportation and soundscape-related
indicators and standards of visitors experience quality.

  (not to exceed 150 words)

3.  Principal Investigator Contact Information 

First Name: 

Title: 

Affiliation: 

Steve

Director

Resource Systems Group, Inc.

Last Name:

Lawson

Street Address: 

City: 

Phone: 

Email: 

55 Railroad Row

White River Junction

(802) 295-4999

[email protected]

State:
Fax:

Zip code:  05043

VT

(802) 295-1006

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information 

4.  

First Name: 

Title: 

Park: 

Park 
Office/Division: 

Street Address: 

City: 

Phone: 

Email: 

Last Name:
Barbara

Natural Resource Manager

Mount Rainier National Park

Division of Resources Management and
Science

55210 238th Avenue East

State:  WA
Ashford

Fax:
360 569-2211 x3372

[email protected]

Samora

Zip code:  98304

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Project  Information 

5.  Park(s) For Which Research is to 
be Conducted: 

6.  Survey Dates: 
05/01/2011

Mount Rainier National Park; Denali National Park
(mm/dd/yyyy) 

to 

09/30/2011

(mm/dd/yyyy) 

Face­to­Face Interview

Telephone 
Survey 

Focus 
Groups 

7.  Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)
  Mail­Back 
Questionnaire 

  ‰ Other 
(explain) 

X  On­Site Questionnaire 

8. 

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

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.
Further, 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.
Protecting natural sounds is an important goal set by the National Park Service in
management policy 4.9: Park natural soundscape resources encompass all the natural
sounds that occur in parks, including the physical capacity for transmitting those
natural sounds and the interrelationships among park natural sounds of different
frequencies and volumes. Natural sounds occur within and beyond the range of
sounds that humans can perceive, and they can be transmitted through air, water, or
solid materials. The National Park Service will preserve, to the greatest extent
possible, the natural soundscapes of parks. The Service will restore to the natural
condition wherever possible those park soundscapes that have become degraded by
unnatural sounds (noise), and will protect natural soundscapes from any unacceptable
impacts (National Park Service Management Policies, 2006).
Management Justification: Transportation systems, operations, and programs are
necessary to facilitate public access and visitor enjoyment of national parks.
However, there can be a number of transportation-related impacts to national park
resources and visitor experience quality (Daigle, 2008). For example, Mount Rainier
National Park accommodates more than 1 million visitors annually and experiences
intensive visitation during summer months. Associated with intensive park visitation
are a number of transportation-related impacts, including traffic congestion at park
entrances and on park roads, parking shortages and associated visitor frustration, and
resource impacts from unendorsed parking. Denali National Park does not experience

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the same levels of visitation as Mount Rainier National Park, yet transportationrelated impacts are evident there as well. For example, visitor’s primary means of
access to the park’s interior is via tour buses, which have visual, soundscape, and air
quality impacts on park resources and visitor experience quality (Ambrose & Burson,
2004; Krog & Engdahl, 2005; Ouis, 2001). While transportation planning,
management, and operations are inextricably linked to visitor use and visitor
experience quality, few studies have examined these relationships (Lawson et al.,
2009). The package of surveys included in this study are designed to examine the
impacts of transportation on visitor experience quality and visitors’ perceptions of
and attitudes about managing transportation-related impacts in national parks, and
include:
Instrument A - Transportation Effects on Soundscape Experience - DENA
Instrument B - Transportation Effects on Soundscape Experience - MORA
Instrument C - Transportation Effects on Auto Touring Experience, Park Roads - MORA
Instrument D - Transportation Effects on Auto Touring Experience, Scenic Overlooks MORA
Instrument E - Transportation Effects on Park Shuttle Experience - MORA
Instrument F - Transportation Effects on Decisions to Use Park Shuttle Service - MORA

The results of this study will be used to inform park transportation and visitor use
planning and management decisions, including the development of transportation and
soundscape-related indicators and standards of visitors experience quality (Lawson et
al., 2007; Newman et al., 2006). More generally, the findings from this study will
help park managers take actions to improve transportation systems and operations in
a manner that is consistent with the parks’ fundamental visitor experience and
resource protection objectives.

9. 

Survey  (a) Respondent Universe:  
Methodology: 
(Use as much 
space as  Instrument A: The respondent universe for the visitor survey will be all recreational
needed; if  visitors (18 years of age and older) to the Talkeetna Ranger Station, the Backcountry
necessary  Information Center and the Savage River Trail area of Denali National Park and
include  Preserve during the study period.
additional 
explanation on 
Instrument B: The respondent universe for the visitor survey will be all recreational
a 
separate page.)  visitors (18 years of age and older) to the Clover Lake and Van Trump Park areas of

Mount Rainier National Park during the study period.
Instrument C: The respondent universe for the visitor survey will be all recreational
visitors (18 years of age and older) auto touring in the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon
Road Corridor of Mount Rainier National Park during the study period.
Instrument D: The respondent universe for the visitor survey will be all recreational
visitors (18 years of age and older) stopped at scenic overlooks while auto touring in
the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon Road Corridor of Mount Rainier National Park during
the study period.
Instrument E: The respondent universe for the visitor survey will be all recreational
visitors (18 years of age and older) using the park’s shuttle system in Mount Rainier
National Park during the study period.

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Instrument F: The respondent universe for the visitor survey will be all recreational
visitors (18 years of age and older) in the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon Road Corridor
of Mount Rainier National Park during the study period.
Sampling plan/procedures:  
Instrument A: The visitor survey sampling period will occur on a total of 10
randomly selected days during the peak summer visitation season at Denali National
Park and Preserve. Sampling days will be stratified by day of the week and location.
Furthermore, each location will be sampled an equal number of times. On each
sampling day, trained surveyors will be stationed at each selected point from 8am to
5pm. The surveyors will recruit study participants by contacting a random sample of
visitor groups as they are walking past the study area and ask them to participate in a
listening exercise. Only one individual from each intercepted group will be asked to
participate at a time. Therefore, the surveyor will not distract listeners by talking to
people passing by. When the visitor is relaxed and ready to listen, the surveyors will
instruct them to close their eyes and listen for approximately three minutes to the
sounds around them, including both human and natural sounds. After three minutes,
they will be instructed to open their eyes and then complete the visitor survey.
Instructions for the visitor survey will be posted on the front page; however the
surveyors will also explain these instructions before passing out the survey. When the
individual finishes the survey, the surveyor will then randomly select another
individual to participate in the visitor survey.
Instrument B: Sampling will occur on 10 randomly selected days during the peak
summer visitation season at Mount Rainier. Sampling will be stratified by day of the
week and location, with two sampling locations – Comet Falls and Clover Lake. Both
sampling locations will be in backcountry locations (Transition Trail Zone and SemiPrimitive Trail Zone of park’s GMP) of the park, approximately 1-2 miles from the
corresponding trailheads. On each sampling day, trained surveyors will be stationed
at selected intercept points from 10 AM to 6 PM. The surveyors will recruit study
participants by contacting a random sample of visitor groups as they are walking past
the study area and ask them to participate in a listening exercise. Only one individual
from each intercepted group will be asked to participate using the next-birthday
method of respondent selection. The study will be conducted employing the
“attended listening” method originally developed and tested at Grand Teton National
Park in 2006 (OMB 1024-0224, NPS 06-043) and refined at Haleakala National Park
in 2007 (OMB 1024-0224, NPS 07-014), and at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national
parks in 2008 (OMB 1024-0224, NPS 08-029). Participants will be instructed to
close their eyes and listen to the sounds around them, including transportation-related
sounds. After they have heard all the sounds that they think they can hear, they will
be instructed to open their eyes and complete the questionnaire. Instructions will be
printed on the front page of the survey instrument; however, the surveyors also will
explain these instructions when distributing the questionnaire. After a visitor
completes the questionnaire, the surveyor will then intercept the next group to pass
the sampling point and randomly select another individual to participate in the visitor
survey.
Instrument C: The sampling period is designed to include the park's peak use
period. A survey will be administered to visitors at two of the primary auto touring
destinations in the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon Road Corridor - Paradise and
Ricksecker Point. At each site, sampling will be conducted on five randomly selected

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days throughout the period of the study. The sampling days will be spread out over
the days of the week and the sampling period will be from 10 AM to 6 PM. During
each sampling period, trained surveyors will be stationed at the study sites. When the
sampling period begins, the surveyors will approach the first visitor group exiting the
site and ask them to participate in the survey. If members of the visitor group agree
to participate, the eligible person in the group whose birthday is closest to the
sampling day will be asked to complete the questionnaire. When the surveyor has
completed his/her contact with the group, the surveyor will ask the next visitor group
exiting the site to participate in the survey. This process will continue throughout the
sampling period. Visitors will complete the on-site questionnaire in the presence of
the surveyors, who will answer any questions that arise and collect the surveys upon
completion. A screening question will be asked to assure that participants will not be
surveyed more than once and to ensure they are auto touring in personal vehicles,
rather than riding the park’s shuttle buses.
Instrument D: The sampling period is designed to include the park's peak use
period. A survey will be administered to visitors at two of the primary scenic
overlooks visited by auto touring visitors in the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon Road
Corridor – Narada Falls and Inspiration Point. At each site, sampling will be
conducted on five randomly selected days throughout the period of the study. The
sampling days will be spread out over the days of the week and the sampling period
will be from 10 AM to 6 PM. During each sampling period, trained surveyors will be
stationed at the study sites. When the sampling period begins, the surveyors will
approach the first visitor group exiting the site and ask them to participate in the
survey. If members of the visitor group agree to participate, the eligible person in the
group whose birthday is closest to the sampling day will be asked to complete the
questionnaire. When the surveyor has completed his/her contact with the group, the
surveyor will ask the next visitor group exiting the site to participate in the survey.
This process will continue throughout the sampling period. Visitors will complete the
on-site questionnaire in the presence of the surveyors, who will answer any questions
that arise and collect the surveys upon completion. A screening question will be
asked to assure that participants will not be surveyed more than once and to record
visitor’s mode of travel to the study site (i.e., personal vehicle or park shuttle bus).
Instrument E: The sampling period is designed to include the park's peak use
period. A survey will be administered to visitors at two of the primary shuttle bus
stops in the Nisqually/Stevens Canyon Road Corridor – Cougar Rock and Longmire.
At each site, sampling will be conducted on five randomly selected days throughout
the period of the study. The sampling days will be spread out over the days of the
week and the sampling period will be from 10 AM to 6 PM. During each sampling
period, trained surveyors will be stationed at the study sites. When the sampling
period begins, the surveyors will approach the first visitor group exiting the shuttle
bus and ask them to participate in the survey. If members of the visitor group agree
to participate, the eligible person in the group whose birthday is closest to the
sampling day will be asked to complete the questionnaire. When the surveyor has
completed his/her contact with the group, the surveyor will ask the next visitor group
exiting the bus to participate in the survey. This process will continue throughout the
sampling period. Visitors will complete the on-site questionnaire in the presence of
the surveyors, who will answer any questions that arise and collect the surveys upon
completion. A screening question will be asked to assure that participants will not be
surveyed more than once.

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Instrument F: The sampling period is designed to include the park's peak use
period. A survey will be administered to visitors at Paradise, which is the most
popular visitor destination in the park. Sampling will be conducted on ten randomly
selected days throughout the period of the study. The sampling days will be spread
out over the days of the week and the sampling period will be from 10 AM to 6 PM.
During each sampling period, trained surveyors will be stationed at Paradise. When
the sampling period begins, the surveyors will approach the first visitor group exiting
the site and ask them to participate in the survey. If members of the visitor group
agree to participate, the eligible person in the group whose birthday is closest to the
sampling day will be asked to complete the questionnaire. When the surveyor has
completed his/her contact with the group, the surveyor will ask the next visitor group
exiting the site to participate in the survey. This process will continue throughout the
sampling period. Visitors will complete the on-site questionnaire in the presence of
the surveyors, who will answer any questions that arise and collect the surveys upon
completion. A screening question will be asked to assure that participants will not be
surveyed more than once and to record visitors mode of travel to Paradise (i.e.,
personal vehicle or park shuttle bus).
(b) Instrument Administration:  
Instruments A-F:
Visitors selected for participation in any of the surveys included in this study will be
read the following script:
“Hello, my name is _________. I am conducting a survey for the
National Park Service to better understand your attitudes toward
transportation and visitor use in Mount Rainier/Denali National
Park. Participation is voluntary and all the responses are
anonymous. Would you be willing to spend a few minutes to
answer some important questions regarding your visit here? This
will only take about 15 minutes.”
If “NO” then, “Thank you, I hope you enjoy your visit.”
If “YES” then, “Thank you, has any member of your group
participated in this survey before?”
If “YES” then, “Thank you for participating in this study but you
have already provided us with the information we need. Have a
great day.”
If “NO” then, “Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study.
The results from this survey will help the National Park Service
better understand visitor experiences, perceptions, and attitudes
towards transportation and visitor use in Mount Rainier/Denali
National Park. Who in your group (who is at least 18 years old)
has the next birthday?”
Study participants will be instructed to complete the questionnaire onsite and address
any questions to the surveyor.

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The group size and type of activity (i.e., day hiking, backpacking) of all groups
contacted (including those who choose not to participate) will be recorded in a survey
log for the purposes of testing for non-response bias.
(c) Expected response rate/confidence levels: 
Instruments A-F:
For each survey instrument, a total of 375 visitor groups will be contacted during the
sampling period. Based on previous and nearly identical studies in Grand Teton,
Yosemite, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks, it is expected that 300
(80%) will agree to participate in the survey. The number of refusals will be recorded
and reported in a survey log, and will be used in calculating the response rate. Based
on the day-use survey sample size, there will be 95% confidence that the day-use
survey findings will be accurate to within 5.6 percentage points, and will have a
power level greater than .80 for any number of statistical tests (two-tailed
independent samples t-test, multivariate regression), at the .05 alpha-level. Thus, the
proposed sample size will be adequate for bi-variate comparisons and will allow for
comparisons between study sites and more sophisticated multivariate analysis if
deemed necessary.
(d) Strategies for dealing with potential non­response bias: 
Instruments A-F:
The data recorded on the survey log for each survey instrument will be used to
compare participating groups’ characteristics (group size and activity type – i.e., day
hiking, backpacking, etc) to non-participating groups’ characteristics. The reasons for
refusals (when volunteered) also will be noted on the survey log. Results of the nonresponse analyses will be reported, and the implications for interpreting the results
will be discussed in the final report.
(e) Description of any pre­testing and peer review of the methods and/or 
instrument (recommended):
The questions included in these surveys were initially designed and reviewed by the
principal investigator, research staff, scientists from other universities with expertise
in survey research methods, and NPS staff. Nearly identical survey instruments were
tested in 2006 and 2007 in Grand Teton, Haleakala, Yosemite, and Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Parks.

10. 

Total Number of  
Initial Contacts | 
Expected 
Respondents: 

A: 375
B: 375
C: 375
D: 375
E: 375
F: 375

Total 

13. 

2250

A: 300
B: 300
C: 300
D: 300
E: 300
F: 300
1800

11.

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

A: 1
B: 1
C: 1
D: 1
E: 1
F: 1

A: 15
B: 15
C: 15
D: 15
E: 15
F: 15

12. 

Total  A: 81
Burden  B: 81
Hours: C: 81

D: 81
E: 81
F: 81
Total:  486

Reporting Plan:  A

technical study report will summarize results and management recommendations.
Journal manuscripts and academic papers will also be prepared. Data will be
analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0 to
compare and quantify acceptability of sounds heard in the audio recordings. These
results will also be compared using demographic variables to look for statistical

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differences between groups. Copies of all reports and papers will be archived with
the National Park Service Social Science Division for inclusion in the Social Science
Studies Collection. All surveys will be included in one final report to the NPS.

References 

Daigle, J. (2008). Transportation needs in National Parks: A summary and exploration of future trends. The
George Wright Forum, 25(1), 57-64.
Ambrose, S., & Burson, S. (2004 ). Soundscape studies in National Parks. The George Wright Forum, 21(1), 2938.
Krog, N. H., & Engdahl, B. (2005). Annoyance with aircraft noise in local recreational areas and the
recreationists' noise situation at home. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 117(1), 221-231.
Lawson, S., Kiser, B., Hockett, K., Reigner, N., Howard, J., Ingram, & A., Dymond, S., (2007. Social science
research to inform soundscapes in Haleakala National Park. Final study report. Virginia Polytechnic and State
University.
Lawson, S., Newman, P., Choi, J., Pettebone, D., & Meldrum, B. (2009 ). The numbers game: Integrated
transportation and user capacity research in Yosemite National Park. Transportation Research Record,2119,
83-91.
Newman P., Pilcher, E., & Stack, D. (2006). Grand Teton National Park acoustic study: Development of
indicators of quality related to soundscapes. Final study report. Colorado State University.
Ouis, D. (2001). Annoyance from road traffic noise: A review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(1), 101120.

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