National Park Service Fees: An Examination of Public Attitudes Technical Report

Solop, Frederic; Hagen, Kristi; Ostergren, David

The National Park Service (NPS) through the NPS Social Science Program commissioned the Social Research Laboratory at Northern Arizona University to conduct the agency's first comprehensive survey of the American public, the 2000 NPS Comprehensive Survey of the American Public, hereby referred to as the "Survey." The significance of this comprehensive survey lies in the inclusion of all individuals across the nation, National Park System visitors and non-visitors alike. Survey data were obtained by interviewing adult members of 3,515 households in the United States. The data provide a representative understanding of the behaviors, values, and opinions of people residing within each of the seven National Park System regions measured on the Survey. Data collection was completed between February 21,2000, and May 21, 2000. (Please refer to Appendix A for a complete description of the methodology.) For purposes of this research, a National Park System visitor is defined as an individual who has entered a National Park System unit within the previous 24 months of being contacted for this survey and is able to accurately identify the unit entered. All respondents who had not visited a unit within the previous 24 months or who could not accurately name a unit they visited were categorized as non-visitors. Overall, 32 percent of the adult popUlation visited a National Park System unit within the 24 months preceding this survey and could accurately name the unit they visited. Information from this research study describes the demographic characteristics of National Park System units' visitors and non-visitors, and contrasts differences in motivation, interest, and attitudes held by these two groups toward the United States National Park Service and National Park System units. The national Survey also provides a detailed understanding of the trips visitors make to National Park System units. In addition, the research promotes an understanding of why non-visitors elect not to visit National Park System units.

National Park Service Fees: An Examination of Public Attitudes Technical Report

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