Weeks Bay Outdoor Recreation Survey

Weeks Bay Outdoor Recreation Survey:

Understanding Visitor Experiences, Motivations, and Barriers

We are interested in learning about your outdoor recreation experiences in and around Weeks Bay (see map on next page). This survey will ask about what motivates you to engage in outdoor recreation, any challenges you might have encountered, and details about your most recent trip to Weeks Bay and surrounding areas. Your responses will help local policy makers, including park managers and municipalities, improve outdoor recreation experiences in and around Weeks Bay.

By completing the survey, you are consenting to participate in this research. Although we hope that you will answer every question, you are free to skip any questions. Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw your consent and discontinue participation at any time. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You will not be individually identified, and your responses will be used for statistical purposes only.

Public Burden Statement

A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the information collection has a currently valid OMB Control Number. The approved OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0648-XXXX. Without this approval, we could not conduct this survey/information collection. Public reporting for this information collection is estimated to be approximately 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. All responses to this information collection are voluntary. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the BUREAU Name at: address, Attn: NOS/NCCOS, 1305 East West Highway, Bldg. SSMC4, Rm 9320, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, [email protected], 240-621-1999.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under 5 U.S.C. § 301, Departmental regulations which authorizes the operations of an executive agency, including the creation, custodianship, maintenance and distribution of records, and 15 U.S.C. 1512, Powers and duties of Department.

Purpose: NOAA collects limited information, such as name, address, phone number, or email address for a variety of purposes. This information will be used to respond to user inquiries or provide services requested by the user.

Routine Uses: Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a) to be shared among Department staff for work-related purposes. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/NOAA-11, Contact Information for Members of the Public Requesting or Providing Information Related to NOAA’s Mission.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. By providing this information, you are consenting to the use of that information only for the purpose for which it is submitted.

This is a map of Weeks Bay and surrounding parks and natural areas.

1. Looking at the map above, did you take any trips to Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area for outdoor recreation within the last 12 months?

A trip is defined as an intentional visit where at least 10 minutes are spent on-site. Same-day reentries are considered to be a single trip. Trips may include overnight stays.

• Yes

• No → SKIP to PAGE 6

2. How many trips did you take to Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area for outdoor recreation within the last 12 months? ____ number of trips

3. When was the last time you took a trip to Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area for outdoor recreation? __/___ (MM/YYYY)

4. Including yourself, how many people were in your personal group on this trip? ____ number of people 

5. Including yourself, how many of these people were at least 18 years old? ____ number of people 

Please only consider the last time you took a trip to Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area for outdoor recreation when answering questions on this page.

6. How important was visiting Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area when deciding to take this trip?

   • Not at all important

   • Somewhat important

   • Very important

   • Extremely important

7. Approximately, how much time did you spend specifically within Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area during this trip?

_____ Number of hours if a day trip

_____ Number of days if longer than 1 day

8. Referring to the map on page 2, did you or your personal group visit any of the following locations on this trip?

   	Yes	No	Unsure
   Marlow Ferry Boat Ramp
   Eastern Shore Trail
   Weeks Bay Reserve Visitor Center, including trails
   Weeks Bay Reserve Resource Center, including boat ramp, kayak launch, and fishing pier
   View Point Boat Ramp
   Pitcher Plant Bog Boardwalk Trail
   Magnolia Landing
   Noltee Creek Boat Ramp

9. Did you participate in any of the following activities within Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area during this trip?

   	Yes	No
   Walking, hiking, or running
   Nature photography
   Biking
   Viewing wildlife, including birdwatching
   Camping
   Hunting
   Swimming or wading
   Fishing
   Motorized boating
   Paddlesports (for example, canoeing and kayaking)
   Educational/interpretive program
   Other, please specify

10. Did you or your personal group use any of the following forms of transportation to reach your primary destination on this trip?

	Yes	No
Personal vehicle, including watercraft
Bicycle
Public transportation (for example, bus, rail, or ferry)
Rental car
Taxi or rideshare (for example, Uber or Lyft)

Please only consider the last time you took a trip to Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area for outdoor recreation when answering questions on this page.

11. Did you purchase an Alabama hunting or fishing license in the last 12 months?

    • Yes

    • No → SKIP to Q13

12. How much did you spend on your Alabama hunting or fishing license(s) in the last 12 months? $____

13. How much did your personal group spend on the following items on this trip? Please mark $0 if no money was spent on an item.

    	Amount
    Gas	$_________
    Tolls	$_________
    Public transportation, taxi, or rideshare fare	$_________
    Entrance fees	$_________
    Parking fees	$_________
    Equipment rental fees	$_________
    Bait and tackle	$_________
    Tour or guide fees	$_________
    Lodging (for example, hotel or campground) fees	$_________

14. When participating in water-based activities, such as swimming, kayaking, or boating, did you bring a mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch, with you?

    • Yes, and I kept it on

    • Yes, but I turned it off

    • No

    • I did not participate in water-based activities on this trip

15. When participating in land-based activities, did you bring a mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch, with you?

    • Yes, and I kept it on

    • Yes, but I turned it off

    • No

    • I did not participate in land-based activities on this trip

16. If you brought a mobile device and kept it on, did you use it for any of the following reasons?

    	Yes	No
    Safety/In case of emergency
    Navigation
    Social media
    Photography
    Learn about the park
    Other, please specify

    • I didn’t bring a mobile device and/or keep it on

Please only consider the last time you took a trip to Weeks Bay or any surrounding park or natural area for outdoor recreation when answering questions on this page.

17. How important to you were the following features on this trip?

    	Not at all important	Somewhat important	Very important	Extremely important
    Designated walking/hiking trails
    Designated blueways/kayak trails
    Access to water
    Restrooms
    Picnic areas
    Fishing areas
    Parking areas
    Internet or cell service
    Educational/interpretive program
    Interpretive signage
    Directional signage
    Other, please specify

18. Looking at this same list of features, how satisfied were you with the quality of each of the following features on this trip? 

	Not at all satisfied	Somewhat satisfied	Very satisfied	Extremely satisfied	Not applicable
Designated walking/hiking trails
Designated blueways/kayak trails
Access to water
Restrooms
Picnic areas
Fishing areas
Parking areas
Internet or cell service
Educational/interpretive program
Interpretive signage
Directional signage
Other, please specify

19. Do you intend to visit Weeks Bay or any surrounding parks or natural areas for outdoor recreation in the future?

• Yes, within the next 12 months

• Yes, but not within the next 12 months

• No

• Unsure

20. Regardless of how you answered the question above, which of the following are reasons why you may not visit Weeks Bay or surrounding areas for outdoor recreation in the next 12 months?

	Not a reason	Minor reason	Major reason
Concerns about safety or security
Discrimination/do not feel welcome
Too crowded
Trails poorly maintained
Limited/no available parking
Limited/no clean restrooms
Limited/no picnic areas
Limited/no access for people with disabilities
Limited/no water access
Limited/no available fishing
Limited/no nature programs
Limited/no equipment/gear
Limited/no information on available facilities, amenities, or activities
Information is/was often not in my preferred language
Not enough time
Too expensive
Too far to travel
Limited/no public transportation
No one to go with
Limited/no internet or cell service
Not interested in outdoor recreation
Other, please specify

This is the final section of the survey. The following questions ensure that all groups are fairly represented.

All answers are confidential.

21. Are you…?

    • Male

    • Female

    • Transgender, non-binary, or another gender

    • Prefer not to answer

22. Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

    • Yes

    • No

    • Prefer not to answer

23. What is your race? Please select all that apply.

• American Indian or Alaska Native

• Asian

• Black or African American

• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

• White or Caucasian

• Other (please specify) _____

• Prefer not to answer

24. In what year were you born? _____ YYYY

25. How well do you read and speak English?

    	Not at all	Not well	Well	Very well
    read English
    speak English

26. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed? Please check only one.

    • Some high school, no diploma

    • High school graduate/GED

    • Vocational/trade school certificate

    • Some college, no diploma

    • Two-year college degree

    • Four-year college degree

    • Graduate or professional degree

    • Prefer not to answer

27. Do you own or rent this residence (where this survey was mailed to)?

• Own

• Rent

• Other

28. Is this your primary residence?

    • Yes

    • No

29. How long have you been a resident of your current town? _____ number of years

30. How long have you been a resident of your current state? _____ number of years

31. How many people, including yourself, live in your household? ____ number of people

32. How many of these people are at least 18 years old? ____ number of people at least 18

33. Which best describes your current employment status? Please check only one.

• Unemployed

• Employed full-time

• Employed part-time

• Retired

• Student

• Homemaker

• Prefer not to answer

34. What was your annual household income in 2023, before taxes? Please check only one.

• Less than $25,000

• $25,000 to $49,999

• $50,000 to $74,999

• $75,000 to $99,999

• $100,000 to $149,999

• $150,000 to $199,999

• $200,000 or more

• Prefer not to answer

Thank you very much for taking the time to complete our survey. If you have any additional comments, please feel free to include them in the space provided below.

Thank you! That’s our last question. Please place this completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope provided and drop it off in the mail.

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