Source: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA submitted to NRP
EXAMINATION OF THE MOTIVATIONS DRIVING PEOPLE'S FOREST-BASED RECREATION PARTICIPATION
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
MCINTIRE-STENNIS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0203355
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Mar 1, 2005
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2007
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
(N/A)
ATHENS,GA 30602-2152
Performing Department
SCHOOL OF FORESTRY & NATURAL RESOURCES
Non Technical Summary
Limited information presently exists concerning people's motivations for participating in particular forest-based recreation activities. The purpose of this study is to collect and analysis data pertaining to people's motivations for participating in particular forest-based recreation activities. This data will enable public land managers to better serve their constitutents by helping them understand what drives or draws people to use their natural resources for particular forest-based recreation activities.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1346010308050%
9017310308050%
Knowledge Area
134 - Outdoor Recreation; 901 - Program and Project Design, and Statistics;

Subject Of Investigation
7310 - Experimental design and statistical methods; 6010 - Individuals;

Field Of Science
3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
The purpose of this study is to theorize, construct, and pretest a module of questions which would seek to capture peoples motivations for participating in outdoor and forest-based recreation activities. This motivation module would than be used to collect national and regional level data. This data will provide public land managers with key information about their constituents that will be crucial to the future management and planning of public land services and facilities. Analysis and presentation of the findings of this study will also be used to solicit funds from various agencies (e.g., TVA, COE, DNR, FS, etc) to repeat this study at the state or county level. Subsequently, this study has the following objectives: 1. To construct and pretest a module of questions pertaining to peoples motivations for participating in outdoor and forest-based recreation activities; 2. To collect national and regional level data on peoples motivations for participating in outdoor and forest-based recreation activities; 3. To analyze and present findings to public land managers (i.e., TVA, COE, FS, DNR, etc) in a format conducive to helping them make more informed decisions relating to the management and planning of their services and facilities for their constituents.
Project Methods
Survey data collection will be conducted by the Human Dimensions Research Lab at the University of Tennessee. A Computer-Aided Telephone Interviewing System(CATI) will be used for interviewing and data collection purposes. Sampling across the countrys population and geographic locations will be designed to provide 1,400 completed interviews on the motivational factors behind peoples forested-based recreation participation. Fourteen hundred completed interviews would allow statistically reliable analysis to be conducted at the national level. In conjunction with other scientists and based upon existing literature motivational questions designed to capture the motivational factors behind peoples participation in forest-based recreation activities will be constructed. These questions will formalize the motivational question module. The overall survey will consist of approximately three modules of questions. The first module will pertain to peoples participation in forest-based recreation activities. The second module will pertain to the motivations behind peoples participation in forest-based recreation. And, the last module will pertain to peoples social-demographic characteristics. All modules and questions in the survey will be initially pre-tested at the research laboratories. Once a final draft of the motivational module and survey has been agreed upon data collection will begin. A final report will be submitted to the USDA Forest Service, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the National Park Service for use by their public land managers.

Progress 12/31/07 to 12/31/07

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Dataset and initial analysis of the data has been shared with the USDA FS Southern Research Unit, State University of New York, Tennessee Valley Authority, National Park Service, and a private recreation outreach and service agnecy (Fermata, INC). Results from the initial analysis has also been discussed and presented at natural Resource conferences. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Gary T. Green Assistant Professor University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources Dr. Rudy Schuster Associate Professor SUNY Michael Wilson Director (PNW) National Park Service Jerry Fouse Recreation Manager Tennessee Valley Authority Dr. Mark Fly & Becky Stephens Human Dimensions Research Lab University of Tennessee TARGET AUDIENCES: Public land managers within the USDA FS, NPS, TVA and in general. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Delay in data collection due to the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Impacts
Information from the study is being used to help public land managers (in USDA FS, NPS, TVA)to more fully understand people's motivations for participating in forest-based activities. Public land managers are using this information to help them plan what facilities, services and activities they should be seeking to provide to their public users. Hence, this study's information is helping to improve public land management planning and operations.

Publications

  • An initial draft of a report/article has been created and is presently being revised before being submitted for publication. Publication is expect by the end of 2009.


Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
Due to unforseen events (i.e., Hurricane Katrina, Rita etc) data collection was delayed for seveal months as it was deemed inappropriate to be surveying people by telephone so close to these events. However, data collection was finalized in late October of 2006. Data has been cleaned and preliminary descriptive statistics have been generated. More indepth analysis is now being explored. Writing related to publications will start in late Spring of 2007.

Impacts
Information gathered will be used to help public land managers to better understand what motivates people to participate in different forest-based activities. Public land managers will use this information to provide more conducive facilities, services, and programs for their users. The more land managers understand about their users the better they can serve them. This information will help to improve both management planning and operations.

Publications

  • No publications to report. Writing will start in late Spring 2007.


Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
Review of related research literature has been conducted. Module of questions pertaining to people's motivations for participating in particular forest-based recreation activities has been constructed. The module of questions has been pretested, revised and further pretested. Data collection started August 2005 and is expected to take four to five months.

Impacts
Information gathered will be used to help public land managers to better understand what motivates people to participate in different forest-based activities. Public land managers will use this information to provide more conducive facilities, services, and programs for their users. The more land managers understand about their users the better they can serve them. This information will help to improve both management planning and operations.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period