“This visitor use monitoring project will be instrumental in providing a representative snapshot in two of our 20 state forest districts,” Shultzabarger said. "The insights and understanding these projects provide are always helpful in our management, and they are of even greater importance in developing insight into the use level and user perspective changes since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Visitors to Gallitzin State Forest in Bedford, Cambria, Indiana and Somerset counties, and Rothrock State Forest in Huntingdon County, may encounter pairs of Penn State students doing on-site surveys and are encouraged to participate if passing a survey point.
Survey questions will include where the visitors are from, activities pursued, length of stay in the area and spending patterns, and satisfaction with the experience. Counting the number of vehicles at certain locations also will be included.
The Visitor Use Monitoring Project began in July and will continue through December, with a final report to be prepared in the spring of 2023.
DCNR and Penn State University’s Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management have partnered on monitoring projects since 2000.
The most recent VUM project report was released in 2019, assessing user needs at Bald Eagle State Forest and Loyalsock State Forest.
Find more information about these forests, visit Gallitzin State Forest and Rothrock State Forest webpages.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
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[Posted: July 29, 2022] PA Environment Digest
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