1024-0224 KEMO Programmatic Review Form

NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224
Expiration Date 05/31/2023

PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW AND CLEARANCE PROCESS
FOR NPS-SPONSORED PUBLIC SURVEYS

The scope of the Programmatic Review and Clearance Process for NPS-Sponsored Public Surveys is limited and will only
include individual surveys of park visitors, potential park visitors, and residents of communities near parks. Use of the
programmatic review will be limited to non-controversial surveys of park visitors, potential park visitors, and/or residents
of communities near parks that are not likely to include topics of significant interest in the review process. Additionally,
this process is limited to non-controversial information collections that do not attract attention to significant, sensitive,
or political issues. Examples of significant, sensitive, or political issues include: seeking opinions regarding political
figures; obtaining citizen feedback related to high-visibility or high-impact issues like the reintroduction of wolves in
Yellowstone National Park, the delisting of specific Endangered Species, or drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

SUBMISSION DATE: 8-16-2023
PROJECT TITLE: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Visitor Use Study
ABSTRACT: (not to exceed 150 words)
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO) is a heavily visited park located in suburban Atlanta, GA. KEMO is
a unique park in that it is both home to one of the most pivotal battles in the Civil War and serves as a nature-based
attraction for locals and tourists looking for hiking, equestrian, and trail running opportunities close to Atlanta, GA.
The last visitor intercept study at KEMO was conducted in 2008 and little is known about who the current visitor is and
how they interact with the visitor center or use the park. This project seeks to understand visitors’ demographic
characteristics and use of KEMO, provide a profile of visitors, and assess visitors’ satisfaction with their experience, as
well as identify areas of improvement to enhance visitor experiences.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME:
Kyle M. Woosnam
TITLE

Professor

AFFILIATION: University of Georgia
ADDRESS:

180 East Green St. Athens, GA 30602

EMAIL:

woosnam@uga.edu

PHONE: 706-542-9948

PARK OR PROGRAM LIAISON CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME:
Patrick E. Gamman
TITLE
Superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
AFFILIATION: National Park Service
ADDRESS:

905 Kennesaw Mountain Drive. NW Kennesaw, GA 30152

EMAIL:

Patrick_Gamman@nps.gov

PHONE: 770-427-4686 X 223

RECORDS RETENTION - PERMANENT. Transfer all permanent records to NARA 15 years after closure. (NPS Records Schedule, Resource
Management And Lands (Item 1.A.2) (N1-79-08-1)).

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NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224

PROJECT INFORMATION:
Where will the collection take place? Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
Sampling Period Start Date: 10/1/2023
Sampling Period End Date: 11/31/2023
Type of Information Collection Instrument: (Check ALL that Apply)
 Mail-Back Questionnaire
 Face-to-Face Interview

X On-Site Questionnaire
 Focus Groups

Will an electronic device be used to collect information?

 Telephone Survey
 Other (List)

 No

X Yes

SURVEY JUSTIFICATION:
Social science research in support of park planning and management is mandated in the NPS Management Policies 2006
(Section 8.11.1, “Social Science Studies”). The NPS pursues a policy that facilitates social science studies in support of the
NPS mission to protect resources and enhance the enjoyment of present and future generations (National Park Service
Act of 1916, 38 Stat 535, 16 USC 1, et seq.). NPS policy mandates that social science research will be used to provide an
understanding of park visitors, the non-visiting public, gateway communities and regions, and human interactions with
park resources. Such studies are needed to provide a scientific basis for park planning and development.
It has been over 15 years since Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO) had a visitor survey. As
such, the park is lacking reliable information about visitors and the visitor experience. This project will provide
information about visitor use, experience, satisfaction, and demographics to guide management and planning at KEMO
now and into the future. Ultimately, outcomes from this work will be used to inform potential management options
regarding visitor use and interpretation, as well as inform strategies for engagement of current and future visitors.
Many of the questions are focused on visitor’s perceptions of the visitor center and the museum. Based on park
manager input, the museum is woefully out of date and managers and planners need visitor input on how to make the
experience more engaging, educational and enjoyable. This will eventually lead to a planning effort to rethink the
museum and visitor center experience. Additionally, managers need to know how the visitor center and museum
impacts the overall visitor experience. Without this critical input from the public, the park will struggle to meet the
needs of current and future visitors. This work is guided by the steps and principles of the Interagency Visitor Use
Management Framework, which identifies the interdependent relationship between resource conditions, visitor
experiences, and management actions as a strategic area of focus.
The proposed research will use visitor input to inform management strategies for increasing visitor access while
maintaining high quality visitor experiences. The main goal of this project is to provide park managers with information
on how visitors perceive the state of the park for recreational and educational opportunities. Results from this study will
be used by the park to inform and/or identify:
•

management for different recreational uses (including sightseeing, hiking, biking, education, etc.),

•

creation of a visitor profile—baseline information regarding visitor demographics, characteristics, and interests,

•

improvements to services and facilities (specifically surrounding the visitor center and the museum), and

•

opportunities to improve communication (in reference to trip planning and on-site communication).
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NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224

The results from this survey give park managers the information needed to make data-driven decisions and maximize
the utility of their financial and personnel resources to improve overall management and visitor experiences at the park,
including improvements to trip planning information resources and visitor center and museum exhibits and services.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY
(A) Respondent Universe:
Based on the 2022 NPS Visitor Use Statics Report, KEMO recorded approximately 1,322,003 visitors. The
respondent universe for this collection will be all adult visitors (18 and older) at the sample location (visitor center
parking lot) during the sampling period.
(B) Sampling Plan / Procedures:
A systematic sampling approach will be employed to intercept visitors exiting the park at the Visitor Center parking
lot (exit survey). This location was identified by park staff and planners as the ideal location to intercept the majority of
visitors exiting the park, specifically those who have engaged with the visitor center and museum (as well as other areas
in the park). On-site sampling will be conducted on weekends and weekdays throughout the 3-month sampling period.
On each sampling day, two teams of two trained research technicians will recruit study participants as they exit the
sampling location. To ensure a representative sample of the visiting population, one adult member (18 and over) of
every 3rd visitor group exiting the park will be asked to participate in the study. The adult within the group with the next
birthday will be asked to participate. If this individual accepts, they will be handed a tablet to self-administer the survey
and the surveyor will remain nearby the respondent to answer any questions. All interactions will be recorded by the
surveyor on a contact log. Individuals who do not wish to participate will be asked if they would answer the nonresponse bias questions, which will be recorded by the research team member. Refusal to respond to the non-response
bias questions will be recorded as a hard refusal. Once an intercept is complete, the surveyor will allow two exiting
groups to pass the intercept location before asking the 3rd group to participate in the survey. This approach will continue
for the duration of the sampling period.
In order to capture as diverse of a group of visitors as possible, three, six-day collections will take place over the
course of the sampling period. Each collection will include both weekends and weekdays. Table 1 includes an example
sampling schedule. We expect sampling quotas will be met for sampling days and location. However, there is the
capacity to add sampling day(s), as needed and in alignment with the systematic sampling plan, should quotas not be
met for a particular time period.

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NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224

Table 1. Example on-site intercept survey schedule with expected initial contacts
Location

October 2024 Collection
8:0012:004:0012:00
4:00
8:00
5
5
10

Day
Tuesday

Visitor
Center
Parking
Lot

November 2024 Collection
8:0012:004:0012:00
4:00
8:00
5
5
10

December 2024 Collection
8:0012:004:0012:00
4:00
8:00
5
5
10

Wednesday

5

5

10

5

5

10

5

5

10

Thursday

5

5

10

5

5

10

5

5

10

Friday

15

15

10

15

15

10

15

15

10

Saturday

20

30

30

20

30

30

20

30

30

Sunday

20

30

30

20

30

30

20

30

30

TOTALS

70

90

100

70

90

100

70

90

100

Total per Collection

260

260
OVERALL TOTAL = 780

260

(C) Instrument Administration:
Participants will be intercepted on site at the visitor center parking lot. The initial contact will be used to explain the
study and determine if visitors are interested in participating (see below). If the group agrees, the adult within the group
with the next birthday will be selected. That individual will then be handed a tablet to use to respond to the survey.
Individuals who decline to participate will be asked if they would be willing to answer 3 non-response bias questions,
which will be recorded directly by the team member and be counted as soft-refusals on the contact log. Individuals who
decline to answer the non-response bias questions will be recorded as hard-refusals on the contact log. All contacts with
park visitors eligible to participate in the survey and their group size will be recorded on the contact log.
While on site, research team members will identify visitor groups, approach them, and say:

“Hello, my name is ____. I am conducting a survey for the National Park Service to
better understand your use of the park. Your participation is voluntary, and all
responses will be kept anonymous. Would you be willing to take a 10-minute
survey?”
 If yes – the research team member will make sure no one in the
group has already been asked to take the survey - then say, "Thank
you for agreeing to participate. Who in your group that is at least
18 years old has the next birthday?" The team member will then
provide that individual with a tablet to take the survey.
 If no: Surveyor will ask, “Instead of completing the full survey, could I ask you three
quick questions?”
o If yes (soft refusal)- ask 3 non-response questions (below).
o If no (hard refusal) - end the contact and thank them for their time.
The number of participants and refusals will be recorded and used to calculate the overall response rate.
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NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224

(D) Expected Response Rate / Confidence Level:
We plan to intercept 780 individuals over the duration of the study. We anticipate a response rate of 50% (n=390).
We anticipate that of the 50% who do not wish to complete the survey, 25% (n=98) will complete the non-response
survey and 75% (n=292) will be hard refusals (Table 2). The response rate for this collection is based on on-site surveys
at similar park sites (ex. Social Science Research to Support Visitor Use Management at Monocacy National Battlefield
2021; OMB Control #: 1024-0224, exp. 05/31/2023). Based on the survey sample size, there will be 95% confidence that
the survey findings will be accurate within 3-5 percentage points.
Table 2. Anticipated Response Rates

Sampling Location
Visitor Center Parking Lot

Initial
Contacts
780

Completed
On-site
Surveys
50%
390

Refusals
50%

Completed Non- Hard Refusals
Response Survey
(75% of
(25% of refusals)
refusals)

390

98

292

(E) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
Non-response bias questions contain two demographic questions from the questionnaire and one park usage
question. Non-response bias questions will be recorded on the contact log by the research team.
The following questions will serve as the non-response bias check for this collection:
1. Are you a first-time visitor to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park? __ Yes __ No
2. What is your year of birth? ________
3. What is your zip-code? __________
The responses to the non-response bias questions by the soft-refusal group will be compared to the sample
collected from participants that completed the full questionnaire. Any implications of non-response bias will be reported
in the final report and discussed with park managers.
(F) Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument:
All questions are from the currently approved NPS Pool of Known Questions (1024-0224; ex. 8/31/2026) and have
been reviewed by KEMO managers and faculty at the University of Georgia and University of Tennessee. The questions
were tested on six members of the general public to estimate respondent burden and clarity of questions.
BURDEN ESTIMATES:
The total estimated burden for this study is 75 hours (Table 3). We plan to intercept 780 total visitors at the
sampling location to reach our sampling goal of 390 completed surveys at the park. The initial contact time (1 minute)
will be used to explain the purpose of the study and provide instruction. Based on the pretest, we estimate that the
questionnaire will take 10 minutes to complete, leading to 11 minutes per respondent (11 minutes X 390 participants =
71.5 hours) for an estimated burden of 72 hours for the on-site survey. The non-response bias check for this collection
will take 2 minutes per respondent (n=98), one minute for the intercept and an additional minute to answer the
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NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224

questions, resulting in a burden of 3 hours (98 non-response participants X 2 minute = 3.2 hours). The burden for the
remaining visitors completely refusing to participate in the collection will not be estimated due to the de minimis nature
of their participation.
Table 3. Burden Estimates for Survey
Completed

Completion Time

Burden Hours

Responses

(minutes)

(rounded)

On-site Survey

390

11

72

Non-response survey

98

2

3

Total burden requested under this ICR:

75 hours

REPORTING PLAN:
The study results will be presented in internal agency reports for NPS managers within the network. Response
frequencies will be tabulated, and measures of central tendency (e.g., mean, median, mode) will be reported as
appropriate. The reports will be archived with the NPS Social Science Program for inclusion in the NPS Social Science
Studies Collection as required by the NPS Programmatic Approval process. Hard copies will be available upon request.
NOTICES
Privacy Act Statement
General: This information is provided pursuant to Public Law 93-579 (Privacy Act of 1974), December 21, 1984, for
individuals completing this form.
Authority: National Park Service Research mandate (54 USC 100702)
Purpose and Uses: This information will be used by The NPS Information Collections Coordinator to ensure appropriate
documentation of information collections conducted in areas managed by or that are sponsored by the National Park
Service.
Effects of Nondisclosure: Providing information is mandatory to submit Information Collection Requests to Programmatic
Review Process.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) and is authorized by the
National Park Service Research mandate (54 USC 100702). This information will be used by The NPS Information
Collections Coordinator to ensure appropriate documentation of information collections conducted in areas managed by
or that are sponsored by the National Park Service. All parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to
be considered. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to, this or any other Federal
agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OMB has reviewed
and approved The National Park Service Programmatic Review Process and assigned OMB Control Number 1024-0224.
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NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service

OMB Control No. 1024-0224

Estimated Burden Statement
Public Reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 60 minutes per collection, including the time it takes for
reviewing instructions, gathering information and completing and reviewing the form. This time does not include the
editorial time required to finalize the submission. Comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form
should be sent to the Information Collection Clearance Coordinator, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Dr., Fort
Collins, CO 80525.

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