The future of our national parks: How do millennials feel about America's greatest idea?
Ruiz TS. 2017. The future of our national parks: How do millennials feel about America's greatest idea?. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
What happens if future generations lack an appreciation for the lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS)? While visitation to all units of the NPS, as a whole, have continued to grow, the recent growth pales in comparison to the upward trend experienced from post-World War II to the late 1980s (Stevens et al. 2014). In fact, when looking at per-capita visitation, NPS visitation is in decline (Stevens et al. 2014). Additionally, as some of the iconic, flagship national parks are being loved to death, the NPS is dealing with a $13 billion dollar maintenance backlog. To help solve these problems, the NPS should look for solutions from a generation that is rapidly shaping both the present and future as the most technologically integrated, most diverse, and largest in U.S. history (surpassing Baby boomers): Millennials. This thesis evaluates the attitudes and values of Millennials (aged 18-34), from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, towards America’s national parks.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Ruiz, Troy
- Date of Issue
- 2017-05-05
- Publisher
- University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
- Units
- GRTE , YELL
- Keywords
- long-term, per-capita visitation, relativity, short-term, thesis, visitation
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Human Use | Visitor and Recreation Use | Visitor Use