GRRI CESU: Partnership to Study Recreation Trends and Increase Access- RTCA

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A. PROJECT GOAL: The Goal of this Agreement is to provide a conduit between the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) and the Recipient to streamline an outreach initiative providing technical, planning and design, and research assistance in the Great Rivers CESU Region. Projects may include........For the first project in FY 2020 would be to examine current and emerging recreational trends in the Midwest and qualitative interviews from those communities and park sites who receive technical assistance from RTCA. Overarching goal is to match a largely disconnected public with outdoor recreation opportunities that are supported by RTCA. A pilot study will be conducted in year 1 to analyze public photos of outdoor activities at RTCA funded project sites in Missouri that are posted on flickr.com. These images will be compared / contrasted with existing data sets from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC; i.e., the 2013 Conservation Opinion Survey) and the Missouri Division of State Parks (MDSP; i.e., Missouri Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2013-2017). Photo analysis is an inexpensive solution to measure recreational activities, as compared to a traditional visitor survey. Despite some limitations, crowd-sourced online photographs can depict visitor demographics (e.g., travel companions, home origins) and recreational activity selection, thus serve as a valuable source of information. Public photos will be accessed and selected for analysis via the Flickr Application Programming Interface (API). In year 2, a qualitative study will be conducted with the recipients and managers of RTCA funded projects in Missouri through semi-structured interviews. These findings will be coupled with recreation expenditures obtained from the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA) to provide an economic rationale for activity inclusion and visitor satisfaction, given managerial constraints. Deliverables for year 1 include descriptive reports to the NPS that include: photo analysis of recreational activities on flickr.com and comparisons with existing data sets obtained from MDC and MDSP on or before August 1, 2021. Additionally, a presentation of study results, with highlighted findings and management implications will be made to NPS staff during the first reporting period. After the pilot study in Missouri has been conducted during year 1-2, a larger study will be undertaken in the NPS Midwest region using the same or similar protocol. The NPS mission is to preserve natural and cultural resources unimpaired for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of present and future generations. This study will help RTCA staff increase the relevance of its programs and services for public benefit, and be better prepared to serve visitors and ensure service quality, by developing an understanding of current and emerging recreational trends in the Midwest. Photo analysis will occur during year 1. Our team will collect and analyze a random sample of public photos taken at selected recreational sites in Missouri that are posted on flickr.com. Images will be compared with existing data sets obtained from MDC and MDSP. Using these results, the project will be extended into year 2 (August, 2021 – July, 2022) to include qualitative interviews of recipients and managers of RTCA funded projects in Missouri, and summaries of Missouri recreation expenditures from OIA and ORSA.

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