NPS Socioeconomic Monitoring Program (SEM1.0)

OMB Approval 1024-0224

Current Expiration Date: 10-31-2015

	United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE [SPECIFY PARK NAME] Address
[Date], 2015 Dear National Park Visitor: Thank you for participating in this study. Our goal is to learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to [NPS site here]. This information will assist us in our efforts to better manage this park and to serve you. This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of visitors, so your participation is very important. It should take about 20 minutes to complete after your visit. When your visit is over, the adult in your group who will have the next birthday should complete this questionnaire. Seal it in the postage-paid envelope provided and drop it in any U.S. Postal mailbox. If you have any questions, please contact the Social Science Program Chief, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO, 80525-5596; nps_nrss_social_science@nps.gov (email). We appreciate your help. Sincerely, [insert signature] Name Director

DIRECTIONS

At the end of your visit:

1. Please have the adult in your group (at least 18 years old) who has the next birthday complete this questionnaire. That will help give us a statistically reliable sample.

2. For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by filling in the circle with black or blue ink. Please do not use pencil.

4. Seal it in the postage-paid envelope provided.

5. Drop it in a U.S. Postal mailbox.

Paperwork Reduction and Privacy Act Statements: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond. This information will be used by the National Park Service as authorized by 16 USC 5931 §201. We will use this information to evaluate visitor services and facilities managed by [SPECIFY PARK NAME]. Your responses are voluntary and anonymous. Your name and address have been requested for follow-up purposes only. At the completion of this collection all names and personal information will be destroyed and in no way be connected with the results of this survey. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

Burden Estimate: We estimate that it will take an average of 20 minutes to complete this questionnaire. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to the Social Science Program Chief, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO, 80525-5596; nps_nrss_social_science@nps.gov (email).

2015 SEM Pilot Survey

For the purposes of this review and submission, Topic Areas and question codes from the currently approved Pool of Known Questions for the NPS Programmatic Review Process (1024-0224) are noted in text boxes preceding each question. These text boxes will not be printed on the final version of the survey.

A. Trip Description

Please have the adult in your group (at least 18 years old) having the next birthday complete this questionnaire.

NOTE: In this questionnaire, your personal group is defined as anyone with whom you visited [NPS site] on this trip, such as a spouse, family, friends, etc. This does not include the larger group that you might have traveled with, such as a school, church, scout, or tour group.

Topic Area 1 – GR3

1. Including yourself, how many people were in your personal group on this trip to [NPS site]?

_______ Number of adults (18 years or over)

_______ Number of children (under 18 years)

Topic Area 1 – GR1

2. On this trip to [NPS site], what type of group were you with? Please mark (●) one.

O Alone

O Friends

O Family

O Family and friends

O Other (Please specify)

Topic Area 3 – TRANS1

3. Please indicate all of the forms of transportation you personally used to travel from your home to [NPS site], on this trip. Please mark (●) all that apply.

O Car, truck, or SUV (Number of people in vehicle, including you) ______

O Recreational vehicle or motorhome

O Airplane

O Tour bus or tour van

O City bus or subway

O Train or long-distance passenger bus

O Cruise ship or other water transportation

O Bicycle

O Walk/hike

O Other (Please specify) _________________________

Topic Area 3 – TRIPC14 Variation

4. Approximately how many hours and miles from home did you travel one way to get to [NPS site] on this trip?

_______ Number of hours

AND

_______ Number of miles

Topic Area 7 – ECON7

5. On this trip to [NPS site], which one of the following entrance fees applied to you personally? Please mark (●) one.

O Did not pay a fee or use a pass to enter the park

O 7-day entrance pass

O Annual Pass for [NPS site]

O America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands

O Senior Pass, Access Pass, or Military Pass

O Fee included in tour package

O Don’t know/Not sure

O Other (Please specify) _________________________

Topic Area 3 – TRIPC7

6. On how many days during this trip did you enter or re-enter [NPS site]? If you were on a day trip or if you camped or lodged inside the park and did not leave the park boundaries for the entire length of your stay, then answer 1 day.

________ Number of days entering or re-entering [NPS site]

OR

O Don’t Know/Not sure

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC8

7. On this trip, how much total time did you spend within [NPS site]?

Number of hours, if a day trip

Number of days, if greater than 1 day

B. Trip Planning and Motivations

TOPIC AREA 2 - TPLAN1

8. Prior to this trip, how did you obtain information about [NPS site]? Please mark (●) all that apply.

O Did not obtain information prior to this visit

O Friends/relatives/word of mouth

O Inquiry to park via phone, mail, or email

O [NPS site] website [(nps.gov/XXXX)]

O Other website (Specify) ________________________________

O Local businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.)

O Maps/brochures

O Newspaper/magazine articles

O Other units of the National Park System (NPS)

O Previous visits

O School class/program

O Social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

O State welcome center/visitors bureau/chamber of commerce

O Television/radio programs/DVDs

O Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)

O Other (Specify) _______________________________________

TOPIC AREA 2 – TPLAN2 & TPLAN3

9. Did you have the information about [NPS site] you needed on this trip? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O No (Specify information you needed but didn’t have on this trip) ____________________

Topic Area 2 – TPLAN15

10. How important to you was each of the following reasons for visiting [NPS site] on this trip? Please mark (●) one for each row.

	Extremely Important	Very Important	Moderately Important	Slightly Important	Not at All Important
To visit a National Park Service site	O	O	O	O	O
To spend time with friends/family	O	O	O	O	O
To view wildlife or natural scenery	O	O	O	O	O
To get physical exercise	O	O	O	O	O
To relax	O	O	O	O	O
To learn more about American history and culture	O	O	O	O	O
To learn more about nature	O	O	O	O	O
To attend a special event (Specify) ____________________________	O	O	O	O	O
To hear the sounds of nature/quiet	O	O	O	O	O
To experience solitude	O	O	O	O	O
To be outdoors	O	O	O	O	O
To view dark night sky/stars	O	O	O	O	O
Other (Specify) ___________________________	O	O	O	O	O

Topic Area 2 – TPLAN16

11. Of the reasons listed in Question 10, which was the most important reason for you to visit [NPS site] on this trip?

________________________________________________________________________

C. Park Activities, Programs, and Services

TOPIC AREA 3 – ACT1

12. In which of the following activities did you personally participate, on this trip to [NPS site]? Please mark (●) all that apply.

O Viewing wildlife, natural features, scenery, wildflowers, etc.

O Creative arts (photography/drawing/painting/writing)

O Visiting a cultural or historic site

O Nature study

O Driving for pleasure

O Walking/short hike (less than 1 hour)

O Day hiking (1 hour or more)

O Bicycling

O Running/jogging

O Fishing

O Non-motorized water travel (rafting, kayaking, canoeing, tubing, etc.)

O Motorized water travel (boating, jet skiing, etc.)

O Camping in developed sites

O Overnight backpacking

O Overnighting in resort, cabin, or other accommodations in [NPS site]

O Family gathering/reunion

O Picnicking

O Swimming, snorkeling, or scuba diving

O Hunting/trapping

O Foraging/collecting edibles (e.g., mushrooms, truffles)

O Rock climbing/bouldering

O Mountaineering

O Other (Specify) ________________________________________________

O Other (Specify) ________________________________________________

O Other (Specify) ________________________________________________

TOPIC AREA 3 – ACT2

13. Of the activities listed in Question 12, which was your primary activity on this trip to [NPS site]?

________________________________________________________________________

OR

O I did not have a primary activity on this trip to [NPS site]

TOPIC AREA 3 – ACT7 Variation

14. In which of the following programs and services did you personally participate, on this trip to [NPS site]? Please mark (●) all that apply.

O Attending a ranger-led activity, such as a tour or talk

O Talking informally with a ranger

O Viewing outdoor exhibits

O Viewing indoor exhibits

O Attending a cultural demonstration or performance

O Reading the park brochure or newspaper

O Going to the Visitor Center

O Watching movies or videos about the park

O Participating with a child in your group in the Junior Ranger program

O Obtaining National Park passport stamp

O Listening to an audio tour or podcast

O Using a smart phone app specific to [NPS site]

O Other (Specify) ____________________________________________________

Topic Area 1 – LEARN11 Variation

15. During this visit to [NPS site] did you learn anything from park staff, programs, and/or exhibits about American history, nature, and/or culture? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes (Specify subjects you learned about) _______________________________________

O No

Topic Area 3 – FVIS4

16. If you were to visit [NPS site] in the future, are there specific subjects you would like to learn about? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes (Specify subjects you’d like to learn about) __________________________________

O No

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC31 Variation

17. How important to you was it during your trip to [NPS site] to use personal electronic devices to do each of the following, and how would you rate the quality of the service in [NPS site] required to do each? For each item, please mark (●) one for importance and one for quality of service needed.

	IMPORTANCE					QUALITY OF SERVICE REQUIRED
	Extremely Important		Somewhat Important		Not at all Important	Very Good	Good	Average	Poor	No Service At All	Not Applicable
Make/receive cell phone call	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Send/receive text message	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Search the internet	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Share pics/videos/audio via social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Download a NPS podcast	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Other (Specify) _______________________	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	O

Topic Area 1 – GR4

18. a) Did anyone in your personal group have a physical condition that made it difficult to access or participate in park activities or services, on this trip to [NPS site]? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O No  Go to Question 19

b) If YES, what activities, services, or facilities did the person(s) have difficulty participating in or accessing? Please be specific.

c) Because of the physical condition, which specified difficulties did the person(s) have? Please mark (●) all that apply.

O Hearing (difficulty hearing ranger programs, bus drivers, audio-visual exhibits or programs, or information desk staff even with hearing aid)

O Visual (difficulty in seeing exhibits, directional signs, visual aids that are part of programs even with prescribed glasses or due to blindness)

O Mobility (difficulty in accessing facilities, services, or programs even with walking aid and/or wheelchairs)

O Other (Please specify) _________________________________________________

Topic Area 6 – EVALSERV3

19. What did you like most about your visit to [NPS site]?

Topic Area 6 – EVALSERV2

20. What did you like least about your visit to [NPS site]?

Topic Area 3 – ITIN5 Variation

21. Did your visit to [NPS site] on this trip meet your expectations? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O Not entirely (Please explain) _________________________________________________

O Not at all (Please explain) ___________________________________________________

D. Park Management

TOPIC AREA 6 – OPMGMT7 Variation

22. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? Please mark (●) one for each row.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Don’t Know/Not Sure
[NPS site] is a safe place to visit	O	O	O	O	O	O
[NPS site] is too crowded	O	O	O	O	O	O
Natural resources in [NPS site] are in pristine condition	O	O	O	O	O	O
The entrance fee for [NPS site] is too high	O	O	O	O	O	O
Vandalism and crime are not a problem in [NPS site]	O	O	O	O	O	O
[NPS site] is not accessible to persons with physical disabilities	O	O	O	O	O	O
Historical and cultural features in [NPS site] are well maintained/ preserved	O	O	O	O	O	O
Development of adjacent areas detracts from visitors’ experiences at [NPS site]	O	O	O	O	O	O

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV1 Variation

23. How would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational opportunities in [NPS site]? Please mark (●) one for each row.

Park Facilities	Very Good	Good	Average	Poor	Very Poor	Not Used or Not Available
Visitor center	O	O	O	O	O	O
Exhibits (indoor and outdoor)	O	O	O	O	O	O
Restrooms	O	O	O	O	O	O
Walkways, trails, and roads	O	O	O	O	O	O
Campgrounds and/or picnic areas	O	O	O	O	O	O
Visitor Services
Assistance from park employees	O	O	O	O	O	O
Park map or brochure	O	O	O	O	O	O
Ranger programs	O	O	O	O	O	O
Value for entrance fee paid	O	O	O	O	O	O
Commercial services in the park (food, lodging, gifts, rental, etc.)	O	O	O	O	O	O
Please specify services used:________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
Recreational Opportunities
Learning about nature, history, or culture	O	O	O	O	O	O
Outdoor recreation (sightseeing, camping, bicycling, boating, hiking, etc.)	O	O	O	O	O	O

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV1

24. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational opportunities in [NPS site]? Please mark (●) one.

O Very good

O Good

O Average

O Poor

O Very poor

TOPIC AREA 3 – LEARN9

25. This park was established because of its significance to the nation. In your opinion, what is the national significance of this park?

E. Expenditures

Please refer to the enclosed map when answering the questions in this section.

TOPIC AREA 1 – RES1 Variation

26. Do you live within the highlighted area shown on the enclosed map? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O No

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC3

27. a) On this trip to [NPS site] and the nearby area, did you stay overnight away from your permanent residence either inside [NPS site] or within the nearby area (within the highlighted area of the enclosed map)? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O No  Go to Question 28

b) If YES, please list the number of nights you stayed in [NPS site] and/or in the nearby area (within the highlighted area of the enclosed map) on this trip.

Accommodation	Number of Nights
Backcountry camping in [NPS site]	________
Camping in [NPS site]	________
Camping outside [NPS site]	________
Lodging in [NPS site]	________
Lodging outside [NPS site]	________
Cruise ship (limited to Alaska and cruise parks only)	________
Other accommodations (e.g., friends/relatives)	________

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC1 Variation

^{28. Was this trip to [NPS site]?} Please mark (●) one.

O ^{Your primary or sole purpose of your trip away from home?}

O One of several equally important destinations on your trip away from home?

• Was one or more of the other equally important destinations located within the nearby area (within the highlighted area of the enclosed map)? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O No

O Just an incidental or spur of the moment stop on your trip away from home?

• Was your primary destination located within the nearby area (within the highlighted area of the enclosed map)? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes

O No

Topic Area 3 – TRIPC19 Variation

29. Did you visit any other National Park Service sites on your trip away from home? Please mark (●) one.

O Yes (Please specify) ________________________________________________________

O No

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON

(Question 30 is only applicable for Alaska, cruise and tour bus parks)

30. a) Did you or anyone in your personal group purchase any package tours that included at least some meals, some lodging, and/or some transportation while on this trip?

O Yes

O No  Go to Question 31

b) What was the total length of your package tour(s)? #____________days

c) What was the total cost per person for the package tour(s)? $___________per person

d) How many people in your personal group were on the package tour(s)? #____________people

e) Which of the following were included in the package tour(s) as part of your visit to [NPS site] and the nearby area (within the highlighted area of the enclosed map) ? Please mark (●) all that apply.

	Items included in your package tour(s) as part of your visit to [NPS site] and nearby area
Local Air transportation	O
Local Ground transportation	O
Local Water transportation	O
Local Lodging	O
Meals	O
Guide services	O
Fees (e.g., fishing or hunting licenses)	O
Gear (e.g., camping equipment, bikes, kayaks)	O
Admission to events or attractions	O
Other (please specify):___________________	O

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON4

31.Please estimate how much you and your personal group with whom you shared expenses (e.g., other family members, traveling companions) spent both inside [NPS site] and within the nearby area (within the highlighted area of the enclosed map) during your time in the nearby area. If you reported expenditures for package tours, please only include individual expenses that were NOT part of your package tour(s). (underlined sentence only applicable for Alaska, cruise and tour bus parks)

If you no longer have your receipts, estimate as closely as you can how much you and your group spent. Please enter 0 (zero) if you did not spend any money in a particular category.

Note: Residents living within the highlighted area of the map should only include expenditures that were directly related to this trip to [NPS site].

Expenses	Amount spent in [NPS site] and nearby area
Park entrance fee	$________
Gas and oil (e.g., auto, RV, boat, etc.)	$________
Rental cars	$________
Taxis, shuttles, and public transportation	$________
Restaurants and bars	$________
Groceries and convenience foods	$________
Hotels, motels, resorts	$________
Specialty lodging (e.g., B&Bs, hostels, cabins, vacation rentals)	$________
Camping fees (tent, RV)	$________
Recreation and entertainment expenses (e.g., movies, bowling, miniature golf, etc.)	$________
Souvenirs, clothing, supplies, other retail	$________
Equipment rental	$________
Guides and tour fees	$________
Other (please list)____________________	$________

OR

O Don’t know/Not sure

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON6 Variation

32. For you and any members of your personal group with whom you shared expenses, please record any additional money spent outside of the map area during your trip away from home (for example, travel or food expenditures).

$

OR

O Don’t know/Not sure

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON5

33. a) Including yourself, how many people in your personal group were covered by the expenses for this trip away from home?

Number of adults (18 years or over)

Number of children (under 18 years)

b) Including yourself, how many people in your group split these trip expenses?

_______ Number of people

F. Background

Topic Area 1 – AGE1, GEND1, RACE/ETH1

34. For your personal group on this trip to [NPS site], please provide the following information.

(If you do not know the answer, enter “DK.”)

	Yourself	Member #2	Member #3	Member #4	Member #5	Member #6	Member #7
Current age	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
U.S. ZIP code or name of country other than U.S.	________	________	_______	_______	________	________	________
Male	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Female	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Hispanic or Latino	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Not Hispanic or Latino	O	O
Don’t’ know	-	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK

TOPIC AREA 1 – VISITHIS5 Variation

35. For your personal group on this trip to [NPS site], please provide the following information. (If you do not know the answer, enter “DK.”)

	a) Number of visits to this [NPS site] in the last 12 months, including this trip	b) Number of visits to other NPS sites in the last 12 months	Don’t’ know
Yourself	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK
Member #2	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK
Member #3	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK
Member #4	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK
Member #5	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK
Member #6	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK
Member #7	Number of visits	Number of visits	O DK

Topic Area 1 – RACE/ETH3

36. What is the race of each member of your personal group on this trip to [NPS site]? Please mark (●) one or more for each group member, including yourself.

	Yourself	Member #2	Member #3	Member #4	Member #5	Member #6	Member #7
American Indian or Alaska Native	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Asian	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Black or African American	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
White	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Don’t’ know	-	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK

Topic Area 1 – ED2 Variation

37. What is the highest level of formal education completed by each member of your personal group on this trip to [NPS site]? Please mark (●) one for each group member, including yourself.

	Yourself	Member #2	Member #3	Member #4	Member #5	Member #6	Member #7
Less than high school	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Some high school	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
High school graduate or GED	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Some college, business, or trade school	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
College, business, or trade school graduate	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Some graduate school	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Master’s, doctoral, or professional degree	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
Don’t’ know	-	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK	O DK

Topic Area 7 – ECON1

38. Which category best represents your annual household income? Please mark (●) one.

O Less than $24,999	O $50,000-$74,999	O $150,000-$199,999
O $25,000-$34,999	O $75,000-$99,999	O $200,000 or more
O $35,000-$49,999	O $100,000-$149,999	O Do not wish to answer

Topic Area 7 – ECON1

39. Including yourself, how many people are in your household?

______ Number of people

Topic Area 1 – LANG1

40. When visiting an area such as [NPS site], what language do you personally prefer to use? Please mark (●) one for speaking and one for reading.

	Speaking	Reading
English	O	O
Spanish	O	O
Other (Specify) _________________________	O	O

Topic Area 6 – OPMGMT3 GPRA

41. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about [NPS site’s] facilities, services, or recreational opportunities?

T

Printed on recycled paper

hank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope provided and drop it in any U.S. Postal mailbox.

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