Programmatic Form

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: 2/22/2023

PROJECT TITLE: Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Visitor Use and Economic Expenditure Study

ABSTRACT: (not to exceed 150 words)

Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (LECL) spans 16 states and 4,900 miles marking the pathway of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1803-1806). LECL is used for many recreation purposes, including hiking, biking, paddling, visiting historical sites, visiting museums, and/or partial/full retracing of Lewis and Clark’s historic pathway. LECL’s size has made visitation estimates difficult, as has the issue of establishing how and why visitors utilize LECL. This study will utilize methodology for LECL visitation using a sampling of sites in Missouri and Nebraska while establishing their intent to visit LECL. This study also will provide managers with data on how visitors utilize LECL for recreation purposes and the expenditures resulting from these uses. The results will inform ongoing and future management decisions and planning.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME:	Dr. Ryan Sharp
TITLE	Associate Professor
AFFILIATION:	University of Tennessee
ADDRESS:	427 Plan Biotechnology Building Knoxville, TN 37996-4563
EMAIL:	Rsharp19@utk.edu	PHONE:	716-289-6107

PARK OR PROGRAM LIAISON CONTACT INFORMATION:
NAME:	Mark Weekly
TITLE	Superintendent – Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
AFFILIATION:	National Park Service
ADDRESS:	601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE 68102
EMAIL:	Mark_weekly@nps.gov	PHONE:	402-661-1806

PROJECT INFORMATION:

Where will the collection take place?
Sampling Period Start Date:		Sampling Period End Date:
Type of Information Collection Instrument: (Check ALL that Apply)
 Mail-Back Questionnaire  Face-to-Face Interview	X On-Site Questionnaire  Focus Groups		 Telephone Survey  Other (List)
Will an electronic device be used to collect information?		 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.

This research project is designed to inform visitor use management and associated planning for the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail (LECL). This project will provide information to understand visitor uses and intents for visiting LECL while guiding future visitation at LECL. Ultimately, outcomes from this project will inform potential management options and engagement of current and future visitors. This work is guided by the steps and principles of the Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework (IVUMF), which identifies the interdependent relationship between resource conditions, visitor experiences, and management actions as a strategic area of focus.

The outcomes of this project will provide information that will directly align with two key mission areas of the NPS: 1. expanding outdoor recreation and access and 2. modernizing organization and infrastructure for the next 100 years. These two mission areas will be fulfilled by a) informing management planning processes for public use and access, b) fostering partnerships to achieve balanced stewardship and use of public lands, and c) enhancing public satisfaction at LECL. The proposed research will seek visitor input that will inform strategies to manage access while still maintaining high-quality visitor experiences.

This research has four key objectives:

1. To establish LECL visitor use patterns while also establishing if users are visiting LECL as a primary or secondary part of their visit. Presently, it is unknown to what degree visitors are attempting to retrace Lewis and Clark’s steps, visit a standalone museum or historical site, or overlap with LECL as a result of outdoor recreation (hiking, paddling, mountain biking, trail running, etc.).

2. To establish early visitation estimates to six sample locations along the LECL and the visitation patterns relative to the other sampling locations in this study. Presently, it is unclear to what extent visitors utilize more than one location on the LECL and how many persons visit these areas overall. The survey results will be used for understanding visitation patterns on the LECL in these areas within a limited budget.

3. To identify visitor characteristics, including demographics and previous visitor use of the LECL, in a sample of locations in Missouri and Nebraska. This information is needed because Park staff are unaware of previous visitor surveys being conducted here and need this visitor data to make informed decisions about planning and management.

4. To explore the expenditure patterns of LECL visitors. The survey will ask visitors about their home location, length of stay, group size, number of previous visits, and expenditures in common areas such as lodging, travel, food, retail, and service purchases occurring while visiting the LECL. The survey results will be used for making informed management decisions with a limited budget.

This quantitative work will produce systematic information on visitor use patterns, demographics, expenditures, and visit purposes, which can be used to estimate the economic impacts of visitors to the sampled LECL sites. This also provides a proving ground for a visitation and economic impact methodology that can be applied to other long-distance, multi-entry trails across the National Park System.

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

1. Respondent Universe:

The respondent universe for this collection will be a systematic sample of all adult park visitors (age 18 and older) at locations along the LECL in Missouri and Nebraska, including:

1. Museum at the Gateway Arch (museum overviewing the Lewis and Clark exhibition)

2. Lewis and Clark Boat House and Museum (a museum located along the Missouri River in St. Charles, MO)

3. Fort Osage National Historic Landmark

4. Lewis & Clark State Park in MO (a 189-acre public recreation area in Buchanon County and on Sugar Lake, a body of water discovered by Lewis and Clark)

5. Lewis & Clark Visitor Center in Omaha, NE

6. Lewis & Clark River Basin Interpretive Center in NE (a hands-on exhibition of Lewis & Clark’s expedition with hiking trails)

2. Sampling Plan / Procedures:

There are presently no visitor statistics for many of the sites on this portion of the LECL, making sampling difficult to estimate. As a comparison, the Gateway Arch sees an estimated 4 million visitors each year and arguably a large portion of these visits also stop by the Gateway Museum at the base of the Arch. Given the lack of better visitation data, the researchers utilize an estimate of 4 million visits each year to the selected LECL sampling sites. Using a confidence level of 90% and a margin of error of 3%, we would need 752 completed surveys for a representative sample. However, because we are attempting to estimate visitor spending at some of these locations, we need to oversample at certain locations to ensure a representative sample, not just overall, but by site. Thus, we will aim for 180 completed surveys at each location (conservatively estimating 30,000 visitors per location per year, at a 90% confidence level and 6% margin of error) outside of the Gateway Arch location, which will have 320, thus making the total number of surveys completed 1,220. Because LECL’s selected sampling locations provide exceptional opportunities for recreational activities and historical programs during spring and summer, we will conduct on-site sampling throughout the day (9 am-5 pm) during these seasons. To ensure that a representative sample of the visiting population is reached, every 3^rd group will be randomly approached and one person per group, who is over 18 years old, will be asked to complete the survey. This strategy is based on previous on-site survey efforts in other similar parks with areas of varying levels of use. Table 1 provides an estimate for visitor contracts.

All sites were chosen based on conversations with park managers, staff, planners, and researchers, and are a representative sample of all locations on the LECL in the study area. The two survey sampling periods will occur for a total of 16 days (Table 1). Based on the visitation data, we expect sampling quotas to be met for sampling days and locations. However, we can add sampling day(s), as needed and in alignment with the systematic sampling plan, should quotas not be met for a particular time period/location.

Table 1: Example on-site intercept survey schedule with expected completed visitor contacts and surveys

Location	Gateway Arch	Boat House	L&C State Park (MO)	Visitor Center (Omaha)	River Basin Center	Fort Osage
Spring
20-Apr	30	20	20
21-Apr	30	20	20
22-Apr	50	25	25
23-Apr	50	25	25
27-Apr				20	20
28-Apr				20	20
29-Apr				25	25
30-Apr				25	25
Subtotal	160	90	90	90	90
Summer
1-Jun	30	20	20
2-Jun	30	20	20
3-Jun	50	25	25
4-Jun	50	25	25
8-Jun				20	20
9-Jun				20	20
10-Jun				25	25
11-Jun				25	25
Subtotal	160	90	90	90	90
TOTAL	320	180	180	180	180

*The sampling hours are limited based on park staff feedback about visitor use at these sites and also due to staffing/budget limitations.

3. Instrument Administration:

Surveys will be self-administered using a tablet. Trained research assistants will be available for questions or potential problems. This will limit potential visitor frustration or technical difficulties on behalf of the visitors and keep the overall burden level low. The research staff at each location will have 6 tablets available.

Once surveying begins, every 3^rd visitor group seen completing their visit will be contacted, and 1 adult from each group will be asked to participate. After each completed survey, research staff will then wait for two more visitor groups to pass before asking another visitor group to participate. To determine which adult will participate, the surveyor will ask the individual within the group with the next birthday to serve as the respondent. An online survey platform (Qualtrics) will be used to collect and store the information.

The initial contact will be used to explain the study and determine if visitors are interested in participating (see script below). This should take approximately one minute. Visitors who refuse to participate will be asked if they would be willing to respond to the non-response bias questions. All contacts will be recorded on the survey log and the number of refusals will be used to calculate the overall response rate for the collection. Visitors selected for participation will be read the following script:

“Hello, my name is ____. I am conducting a survey for the National Park Service to understand your use of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and your expenditures during your visit. Your participation is voluntary, and all responses will be kept anonymous. Would you be willing to take a 10-minute survey?”

• If yes—the surveyor will make sure no one in the group has already been asked to participate and then say, “Thank you for agreeing to participate. Who in your group that is at least 18 years old has the next birthday?” This individual will then be handed a tablet and asked to complete the survey on their own.

• If no—the surveyor will ask, “Instead of completing the full survey, could I ask you three quick questions?”

  • If yes (soft refusal): ask 3 non-response questions (below)

  • If no (hard refusal): end the contact and thank them for their time.

4. Expected Response Rate / Confidence Level:

The response rate for this collection is based on surveys at similar park sites. Based on the survey sample sizes, there will be 90% confidence that the survey findings will be accurate within 3 percentage points. We plan to approach 2,440 individuals across all sites during the sampling period. We anticipate that 50% (n=1,220) of those at each site contacted will agree to participate and complete the survey. Of those who decline to participate in the study, we estimate 20% (n=244) will participate in the non-response survey.

Table 2. Anticipated Response Rates for Survey

Location	Initial Contacts	Acceptance 50%	Non-respondents (soft refusals) 50%	Non-respondent survey 20%	Non-respondents (Hard refusals) 80%
Gateway Arch Museum	640	320	320	64	256
Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum	360	180	180	36	144
Lewis & Clark State Park	360	180	180	36	144
Lewis & Clark Visitor Center	360	180	180	36	144
Lewis & Clark River Basin Interpretive Center	360	180	180	36	144
Fort Osage	360	180	180	36	144
Total	2,440	1,220	1,220	244	976

5. Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias:

All soft refusals will be asked to respond to the following questions, which will serve as the non-response bias check:

1. Over the past twelve months, how many visits have you made to [insert sampling location]?

2. Is this your first time visiting [insert sampling location]?

• Yes

• No

• I’m not sure

3. Are you a permanent resident or citizen of the United States?

• No  What is your country of origin? ________________

• Yes  What is your zip code and state of residence

Zip Code: _____________ State: _______________

This process will continue throughout the sampling period at each of the study locations. The information will be used to determine any non-response bias. Any implication of non-response bias will be outlined in the final report and discussed with park planning and management.

6. Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument:

The questions in the survey are from the currently approved NPS Pool of Known Questions (1024-0221, exp: 5/31/2026). Any variations of the questions reflect park-specific conditions and have been reviewed by LECL managers and faculty at the University of Tennessee. The survey was tested on six members of the general public to estimate respondent burden and clarity of questions.

BURDEN ESTIMATES

We plan to approach a total of 2,440 individuals across all previously identified sites during the sampling period. We anticipate that 50% (n=1,220) of those contacted will agree to participate and complete the survey. The initial contact time (1 minute) will be used to explain the purpose of the survey, provide instructions, and answer questions about the survey. Based upon the pretest, we estimate that an average of 10 additional minutes will be required to complete and return the survey, resulting in a total burden of 224 hours ((1,220 X 11)/60 = 224).

Of all the visitors refusing to accept the invitation (n=1,220), we will ask if they would be willing to answer the 3 questions that will serve as the non-response bias check for this collection. We expect that 20% (n=224) of refusals will agree to answer the non-response bias questions, which will require one minute in addition to the one minute for the initial contact. The burden for the non-response check is estimated to be 7 hours ((224 X 2)/60 = 7 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

	Completed Responses	Completion Time * (minutes)	Burden Hours (rounded up)
On-site Survey*	1,220	11	224
On-site non-response survey	224	2	7
Total burden requested under this ICR:	1,444		231

* Initial contact time of one minute is added to the time to complete the surveys

REPORTING PLAN:

The study results will be presented in internal agency reports for NPS managers. Response frequencies will be tabulated and measures of central tendency will be computed (e.g., mean, median, mode, etc.). The reports will be archived within the NPS Social Science Program for inclusion in the NPS Social Science Studies Collection. 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.

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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