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pdfNPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
Expiration Date 08/31/2026
PROGRAMMATIC REVIEW AND CLEARANCE PROCESS
FOR NPS-SPONSORED PUBLIC SURVEYS
FOR QUESTIONS/FOLLOW-UP ON PROGRAMMATIC SUBMISSIONS,
PLEASE CONTACT: NPS Information Collection Review Coordinator,
Megan McBride; megan_mcbride@nps.gov; 970-502-7353
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: 10/11/2023
PROJECT TITLE: Identifying visitor services and opportunities at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
ABSTRACT: (not to exceed 150 words)
This project will provide managers with needed information about visitor preferences for services and experiences and
inform the application of the National Park Service Intermountain Region’s Tourism Toolkit to Bent’s Old Fort National
Historic Site (BEOL). There is very limited data about visitor use and experiences for BEOL. Collection of this information
will inform a strategy for tourism development. The project will consist of on-site exit surveys of visitors to BEOL.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME:
Kathleen Andereck
TITLE
Professor
AFFILIATION: Center for Sustainable Tourism, Arizona State University
ADDRESS:
411 N Central Ave. Ste. 550, Phoenix, AZ 85004
EMAIL:
kandereck@asu.edu
PHONE:
602-496-1056
PARK OR PROGRAM LIAISON CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME:
Eric Leonard
TITLE
Group Superintendent
AFFILIATION:
National Park Service
ADDRESS:
35110 State Highway 194, La Junta CO 81050
EMAIL:
Eric_Leonard@nps.gov
PHONE: 719-383-5012
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)).
Page 1 of 2
NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Where will the collection take place? Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site (La Junta CO)
Sampling Period Start Date: 05/14/2024
Sampling Period End Date: 09/05/2024
Type of Information Collection Instrument: (Check ALL that Apply)
Mail-Back Questionnaire
Face-to-Face Interview
On-Site Questionnaire
Focus Groups
Will an electronic device be used to collect information?
Telephone Survey
Other (List)
No Yes – Electronic tablet
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.
The information collected from this survey will serve as a means to assess current visitor use and needs at Bent’s Old
Fort National Historic Site (BEOL). To date, there has not been a comprehensive visitor use study of BEOL to evaluate
visitors’ service and experience preferences. Further, the information collected will inform the NPS Intermountain
Region Tourism Toolkit with BEOL serving as a pilot site for implementation. The ultimate goal of the Tourism Toolkit is
to inform the development of a tourism strategy for NPS sites, such as BEOL.
While many parks have experienced increasing numbers of visitors in recent years, BEOL has experienced a 25%
decline in visitation from 2009 to 2019. The Tourism Toolkit is an inaugural effort by the NPS to more closely engage
with tourism and tourists in an effort to enhance visitation at lesser visited parks. Park managers need this data
collection in order to better understand current visitors as a means to help grow visitation both in numbers and diversity
of visitors. This study will allow park managers to gain a profile of visitors to BEOL and their interest in current and
potential visitor services, opportunities, and activities. The study findings will be used to:
•
create a demographic profile of high season visitors;
•
obtain information regarding high season visitors’ travel characteristics;
•
document visitors’ trip planning and decision-making behavior;
•
determine visitors’ interest in, and satisfaction with, existing services, facilities, and experiences;
•
identify visitors’ preferences for additional facilities and experiences.
Page 2 of 3
NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
(A) Respondent Universe:
The respondent universe for the survey consists of all adults (aged 18 and older) visiting Bent’s Old Fort National
Historic Site during the study period from mid-May 2024 through the beginning of October 2024.
(B) Sampling Plan / Procedures:
A systematic sampling approach will be employed to intercept visitors exiting the park. On-site sampling will occur
during the high-use period at BEOL (mid-May through early October) over weekday and weekend days to reflect typical
visitation patterns proportional to NPS visitation statistics. To determine monthly sampling proportions, visitation in 2019,
2021 and 2022 were averaged with 2020 omitted to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism. The
following tables list summer visitation estimates for these years, (Table 1) and anticipated visitor intercept numbers (Table
2).
Table 1: Bent’s Old Fort Visitation
Year
2019
2021
2022
Average
Visitation*
May
June
July
August
September
Total
4,172
2,862
4,223
3,752
3,251
3,025
3,571
3,282
2,844
2,935
4,336
3,372
2,117
2,346
2,639
2,367
2,379
4,559
3,475
3,471
14,763
15,725
18,244
16,244
*Retrieved from https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/ (October 2023)
% of annual
visitation
77%
82%
70%
Table 2: initial Contacts and Completed Questionnaires
Number of Visitor Contacts/Completed Questionnaires
Contacts
Completed
May
June
July
August
September
Total
132
93
116
81
120
84
84
59
120
83
572
400
To ensure a representative sample of the visiting population, one adult member (18 and over) of every Nth 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 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 non-response 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 N exiting groups to pass the intercept location
before asking the Nth group to participate in the survey. This approach will continue for the duration of the sampling
period. Approximately 60% of the sample will be drawn from weekend days, with an assumption of an average of 16 and
Page 3 of 4
NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
24 digitized questionnaires completed on weekdays and weekend days, respectively. Thus, a total of 20 sample days (10
weekday and 10 weekend days) and 4 contingencies days are planned across the sampling period (Table 3).
Table 3. Example on-site intercept survey schedule with expected initial contacts
Location
Fort exit/
entrance
door
May 2024
Data Collection
June 2024
Data Collection
July 2024
Data Collection
August 2024
Data Collection
September 2024
Data Collection
9:0012:00
12:003:30
9:0012:00
9:0012:00
12:003:30
9:0012:00
9:0012:00
12:003:30
Monday
13
13
12
12
12
12
Tuesday
13
13
12
12
12
12
Day
12:003:30
12:003:30
Thursday
12
12
8
8
Friday
12
12
8
8
Saturday
20
20
17
17
18
18
13
13
18
18
Sunday
20
20
17
17
18
18
13
13
18
18
TOTALS
66
66
58
58
60
60
42
42
60
60
Totals per month
Overall total
132
116
120
84
120
572
(C) Instrument Administration:
The study will utilize a self-administered, on-site digitized questionnaire developed by Arizona State University and
the NPS. The questionnaire will be administered using Qualtrics survey software installed on electronic tablets. A
potential respondent for the questionnaire will be identified on site using the introductory statement and screening
questions outlined at the end of this document. Once the respondent has answered the screening question and has
been found to be eligible for the study, the survey administrator will provide a brief description of the study and request
the visitor’s participation.
If the visitor refuses, the survey administrator will ask if they would be willing to complete four short non-response
questions and will record observable information. If the answer is again no, the administrator will record observable
information and, if possible, note the reason for refusal (e.g., in a hurry, language barrier, etc.).
Survey administrators will be trained by the ASU investigators in cooperation with NPS staff from BEOL. Interviewers
will be trained on every aspect of on-site surveying, including using sampling intervals, avoiding sampling bias, and how
to handle all types of interviewing situations, especially safety of the visitors and the interviewers. Quality control will be
ensured by monitoring interviewers in the field, and by checking their paperwork at the end of each survey day.
Page 4 of 5
NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
(D) Expected Response Rate / Confidence Level:
A total of 572 visitors will be contacted during the sampling periods. An estimated 400 (70%) visitors will agree onsite to participate in the survey. This estimate is based on previous literature as well as the response rates from other
similar surveys. The number of refusals will be recorded and reported in a survey log and will be used in calculating the
response rate. Based on the survey sample size, there will be 95% confidence that the survey findings will be accurate to
within 5 percentage points.
Table 1a. Anticipated Onsite Survey Response Rates
Total Number of
Visitor Contacts)
Completed
Onsite Surveys
(70% of contacts)
Soft Refusals
(30% of contacts)
Completed
Non-Response Surveys
(50% of soft refusals)
Hard Refusals
(50% of soft refusals)
572
400
172
86
86
(E) Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:
To assess the potential non-response bias, visitors will be asked the following question which will be recorded on the
onsite contact log:
• Are you a first-time visitor to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site?
Yes
No
•
Where is your permanent residence?
City/town______________ State _______________ OR Country ________________
•
On this visit, how long did you and your personal group stay at Bent’s Old Fort? (Note in partial hours as
decimals. .25, .5 or .75 )
Number of hours
•
Overall, how would you rate your overall experience at Bent’s Old Fort today?
Very Poor
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
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 BEOL managers and faculty at Arizona State University. The survey was tested with seven university
students to estimate respondent burden and clarity of questions.
Page 5 of 6
NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
BURDEN ESTIMATES
Overall, we anticipate that a total of 572 individuals will be approached during the sample period. Among the 572
individuals, we expect that at least 400 (70%) will agree to participate and complete the survey while onsite. We expect
the initial onsite contact time will be 1 minute per person. The questionnaire will take 10 minutes or less to complete,
resulting in an estimated burden of 11 minutes per respondent and a total burden of 73 hours for the on-site survey.
During the initial contact, each person who is not able to participate in the survey will be asked to answer the four nonresponse questions listed above in section (E), which will take 2 additional minutes, resulting in a total burden of 4 hours
for the non-response survey. 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 4. Burden Estimates
Completed
Responses
Completion Time *
(minutes)
Burden Hours
(rounded up)
Onsite Survey
400
11
73
Onsite non-response survey
86
3
4
Total burden requested under this ICR:
486
77
* Initial contact time of one minute is added to the time to complete the surveys
REPORTING PLAN:
The final technical report, with data analysis, conclusions and recommendations will be prepared and distributed to
the following: an electronic version (in PDF file format) and two hard copies for the NPS CPCESU Research Coordinator at
Northern Arizona University; one electronic version and two hard copies of the final report will be provided to the
Superintendent BEOL National Historic Site; one electronic version and two hard copies of the final report will be
provided to the NPS Social Science Program for inclusion in the Social Science Studies Collection. If requested,
investigators are willing to prepare a presentation of results for park staff and their partners in the development of the
BEOL tourism strategy that can be offered as an online presentation.
Page 6 of 7
Introductory statement and screening question to invite visitors to participate in the on-site survey:
Introductory Statement
“Hello! I hope you enjoyed your visit to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site. My name is […]. I am a student from
Arizona State University conducting a survey about visitors to the Fort. This survey is a joint research project between
Arizona State University and the National Park Service; the purpose is to learn visitors’ opinions about Bent’s Old Fort’s
programs, facilities, and services.
[Screening Question]
What is the purpose of your visit to the Fort today?
□
□
Visit the Park
Park/Concession Employee
□
□
Research, Commercial Services (Guides, etc.)
Park Business
“Visit the Park” is a recreation visit-continue with survey (note on log sheet).” Research, Commercial Services (Guides,
etc.)” will also continue with the survey (note on log sheet).
In the case of “Park/Concession Employee” or “Park Business”-no need to continue the survey – no need to note on log
sheet.
Continuation of invitation
We are only talking with a small number of visitors, so your participation would be greatly appreciated. The survey will
take about 10 minutes to complete. All of your answers are voluntary.
Would you be willing to participate in the survey?
If no, ask the visitor if he/she would be willing to answer four short questions. If yes, ask non-response questions (Section
E) and note other observational information (i.e., group size and composition, comments regarding reason for refusal) on
log sheet.
If no to answering the four questions, thank the visitor; stop the interview, and record observational information on log
sheet.
If yes, confirm that visitor is at least 18 years old, record observational information on log sheet, and provide the
questionnaire and instructions for completion.
The Paperwork Reduction Act requires approval of all federal government surveys by the Office of Management and
Budget. This survey has been approved under this Act. The Office of Management and Budget control number and
expiration date is included on the survey and available at your request. Additional information about this survey and its
approval is included on the survey and available at your request.*
*Additional Information Provided upon Request.
OMB Approval number:
(Not yet assigned)
Expiration Date:
(Not yet assigned)
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)).
Page 7 of 8
NPS Form 10-201 (Rev. 09/2019)
National Park Service
Person Collecting and Analyzing Information:
OMB Control No. 1024-0224
Kathleen Andereck
Center for Sustainable Tourism
School of Community Resources and Development
Arizona State University
411 N. Central Ave.,
Phoenix, AZ 85004
16 U.S.C. 1a-7 authorizes collection of this information. This information will be used by park managers to better serve
visitors to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site. Response to this request is voluntary. No action may be taken against
you for refusing to supply the information requested. No personal data will be recorded.
You may direct comments on the number of minutes required to respond, or on any other aspect of this survey to:
Eric Leonard, Group Superintendent
Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site
35110 State Highway 194
La Junta CO 81050
719-383-5012; Eric_Leonard@nps.gov
Page 8 of 9
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.
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.
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)).
Page 9 of 9
| File Type | application/pdf |
| Author | Molly Ryan |
| File Modified | 2023-10-12 |
| File Created | 2023-10-12 |