1024-0224 Programmatic Form

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Social Science Program
Expedited Approval for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys
1.

2.

3.

Project Titles⎢ Visitor Services Project (VSP) Survey for Joshua Tree National Park
Submission Date: (JOTR)
Abstract:

A Mail back survey will be used to collect information from visitors at Joshua Tree National
Park (JOTR). The survey will be used to gather information concerning visitor satisfaction
about the park’s services and facilities. The data will be used to prepare National Park Service
planning documents, such as: General Management Plans (GMP), Resource Management Plans
(RMP), Wilderness Plans, and Long-Range and Comprehensive Interpretive Plans. The
information from these visitor studies will be used by park managers to inform decisions about
park operations. The information will also be shared with park partners and gateway
communities to assist in mutual planning efforts. The questionnaires will be designed to
systematically collect data that will include information on trip/visit characteristics (e.g.
activities, evaluation of park services/facilities, perceptions of park experiences, and opinions
on park management).

Principal Investigator Contact Information
First Name:
Title:
Affiliation:

Street Address:
City:

4.

October 6, 2010

Margaret

Last Name:

Littlejohn

NPS Visitor Services Project (VSP) Director
NPS Visitor Services Project, PSU, College of Natural
Resources, University of Idaho
6th & Line Streets, Room 17B
Moscow

Phone:

208-885-7863

Email:

[email protected]

State:
Fax:

ID

Zip code:

83844-1139

208-885-4261

Park or Program Liaison Contact Information
First Name:

Joe

Title:

Interpretation and Education

Park:

Joshua Tree National Park

Last Name:

Zarki

Park Division of Resources Management and Science
Office/Division:
Street Address:
City:
Phone:

74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms
760-367-5520

State:
Fax:

CA
760-367-6392
Email:

Zip code:

92277

[email protected]

Project Information
5.

Park Where
Research is to be
Conducted:

6.

Survey Dates:

7.

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

8.

Joshua Tree National Park

11/15/2010

‰

On-Site
Questionnaire

(mm/dd/yyyy)

‰

to

Face-to-Face
Interview

11/21/2010

‰

Telephone
Survey

(mm/dd/yyyy)

‰

Focus Groups

Other (explain)

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

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.
Allocation of funding is to be roughly in proportion to the seasonally adjusted
volume of use (P. L. 88-578, Sect. 6) and in consideration of visitor
characteristics and activities for determining carrying capacity (92 Stat. 3467; P.
L. 95-625, Sect. 604 11/10/78). 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.
Managerial Justification.
Study findings will be used as follows, depending upon the specific park:
• As input into planning (e.g., General Management Plan, Comprehensive
Interpretive Plan, Long Range Interpretive, Plan, Wilderness Plan,
Resource Management Plan, Backcountry Management Plan).
• To design interpretive and educational programs to match visitor
interests and needs. Interpretive media at some parks are outdated, and
wayside exhibits need to be replaced or added in many areas.
• For designing future visitor facilities or renovating existing facilities.
• To evaluate visitor behavior for potential impacts on natural and cultural
resources.
• To determine whether concession services in parks are meeting visitor
needs.
• For local businesses and governments to use to better understand how
visitors are contributing economically to the area.
The mail-back questionnaire used in this study is designed to collect data from
visitors, including individual characteristics, trip/visit characteristics, individual
activities, individual evaluation of park services/facilities, individual perceptions
of their park experiences and individual opinions on park management. Park
visitors will be randomly selected to participate in the studies as they visit selected
park locations during a 7 day period.

9.

Survey
Methodology: (Use
as much space as
needed; if necessary

(a) Respondent universe:
The respondent universe for this collection will be all recreational visitors, age 16
and older, who visit the park during the study period. A systematic sample of
visitors will be contacted by VSP-trained interviewers at selected park locations in

include additional
explanation on a
separate page.)

each park.
On-site visitors will be intercepted at locations shown in the table below.
Intercept Locations within JOTE
West, North, Black Rock, entrance stations
Indian Cove Entrance Station
Cottonwood Visitor Center
Oasis Visitor Center
Joshua Tree Visitor Centers
(b) Sampling plan/procedures:
The survey design and sampling plan for this collection visitor studies 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
methodology has been used in 214 previous surveys conducted by the VSP. Most
questions have been included in other VSP questionnaires or appear in the NPS
Known Pool of Questions. A systematic sampling procedure, based on the park’s
visitation statistics from the previous year, will require intercepting every nth
visitor group to participate in the study.
Each interviewer will receive 1-1/2 hours of training on how to conduct interviews.
This training will cover every aspect of interviewing, including conducting the
interviews using sampling intervals, avoiding sampling bias, and how to handle all
types of interviewing situations, including safety of the visitor and the interviewer.
Quality control will be ensured by monitoring interviewers in the field, and by
checking their paperwork at the end of each day of surveying.
(c) Instrument administration:
The initial contact with visitors will be used to explain the study and determine if
visitors are interested in participating (see attached script). This should take
approximately 1 minute. If a group is encountered, the survey interviewer will ask
the individual within the group who has the next birthday to serve as the
respondent for the study. At this point, the survey respondent will be asked 5
questions to collect information that will be used in the non-response bias analysis
(see questions below). The respondent will also be asked to record their name,
address, and phone number/email address on the survey log. Finally the respondent
will be given a stamped, addressed questionnaire to complete and mail back to the
Visitor Services Project. The number of visitors refusing to participate will be
recorded and used to calculate the overall response rate for the collection.
At the end of the survey sampling period all participants will be mailed a thank
you/reminder post card within 11 working days. A reminder letter with a stamped,
addressed replacement questionnaire will be sent to non-respondents 21 working
days after completion of on-site contacts. A second reminder letter will be mailed
after 35 working days with a stamped, addressed replacement questionnaire.

(d) Expected response rate/confidence levels:
A total of 763 visitors will be contacted during the sampling period. 700 (92%)
visitors 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 previous and nearly identical studies conducted by the VSP 483
(69%) are expected to complete and return the survey by mail. With this sample
size, there will be 95% confidence that the day-use survey findings will be accurate

to within 3.7 percentage points. Thus, the proposed sample size will be adequate
for bivariate comparisons and will allow for comparisons between study sites and
more sophisticated multivariate analysis if deemed necessary. For dichotomous
response variables, estimates will be accurate within the margins of error and
confidence intervals will be somewhat larger for questions with more than two
response categories.
(e) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
During the initial contact, the interviewer will ask each visitor five questions taken
from the survey. These questions will be used in a non-response bias analysis.
1) What type of group are you traveling with today?
2) (If with an organized group-tours, school, etc.) How many people are in
your group?
3) How many in your party are, 18 years and older?
4) How many are in your party are 17 years and younger?
5) How old is the person who will complete the questionnaire?
Responses will be recorded on a log for every survey contact. Results of the nonresponse bias check will be described in a report and the implications for park
planning and management will be discussed.
(f) Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or
instrument (recommended):
The questionnaire format and many of the questions have been used in 214
previous VSP survey instruments. Questionnaires are regularly peer reviewed by
NPS managers and university professors.

10

13.

Total Number
of
Initial Contacts
Expected
Number
accepting
questionnaire
Expected
Number of
Respondents

763

700

483

Reporting Plan:

11

Estimated Time (mins.)
to Complete Initial
Contact
Estimated Time (mins.)
to ask non-response bias
checking questions
Return Instrument

1

Estimated Burden
Hours

13

3

Estimated Burden
Hours

35

20

Estimated Burden
Hours

161

Total Burden

209

12

The results of the studies will be presented in internal agency reports for NPS
managers. Response frequencies will be tabulated and measures of central
tendency computed (e.g., mean, median, mode, as appropriate).The reports will be
archived with the NPS Social Science Program for inclusion in the Social Science
Studies Collection. They will also be posted on the Park Studies Unit VSP website
at: http:/psu.uidaho.edu/vsp.reports.htm. Hard copies will be available upon
request. The economic data will be used to produce special reports for the NPS
covering overall use estimates and local economic impacts.