Current and Historic Visitor Experiences in Coastal Alaskan Wilde

Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 12-2019 Current and Historic Visitor Experiences in Coastal Alaskan Wilderness: Visitor Motivations and Experience Quality in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve Gabriella R Furr Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Environmental Studies Commons Recommended Citation Furr, Gabriella R., "Current and Historic Visitor Experiences in Coastal Alaskan Wilderness: Visitor Motivations and Experience Quality in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve" (2019) All Graduate Theses and Dissertations 7695 https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7695 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU For more information, please contact digitalcommons@usu.edu CURRENT AND HISTORIC VISITOR EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL ALASKAN WILDERNESS: VISITOR MOTIVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE QUALITY IN GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE by Gabriella R Furr A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Recreation Resource Management Approved: Christopher A Monz, Ph.D Major Professor Jennifer Peeples, Ph.D Committee Member Mark W Brunson, Ph.D Committee Member Richard S Inouye, Ph.D Vice Provost for Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2019 ii Copyright © Gabriella R Furr 2019 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Current and Historic Visitor Experiences in Coastal Alaskan Wilderness: Visitor Motivations and Experience Quality in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve by Gabriella R Furr, Master of Science Utah State University, 2019 Major Professor: Dr Christopher A Monz Department: Environment and Society Visitors to parks and protected areas (PPAs) engage in a variety of activities and choose different modes of travel, especially when the location itself has few limitations, such as open-water, dispersed settings with relatively few backcountry visitors Managers must understand visitor motivations and experience quality in order to offer appropriate and meaningful opportunities This study seeks to better understand visitor motivations and potential differences across activity types, to develop and measure effective indicators for evaluating the quality of visitor experiences, and to explore these visitor dimensions through a longitudinal scope of 40 years This study contributes to current literature by exploring visitor dimensions with a historical perspective in a unique geographic area, where the majority of recreation occurs in an open-water, dispersed environment Visitor intercept surveys were conducted for six different visitor groups, measuring motivations and experience quality A principal component factor analysis resulted in eight visitor motivations, followed by a K-means cluster analysis creating three motivation-based visitor clusters An analysis of mean scores illustrated that visitors iv reported high quality experiences, which was further supported by reports of limited detractions Results suggest that although both motivations and experience quality statistically differed between activity types, the differences are subtle and should therefore be managed accordingly Historical comparisons confirm that decades later visitors continue to be motivated by opportunities to experience glaciers, solitude, and natural connection and renewal; litter, cruise ships and propeller-driven aircrafts continue to be the main social factors detracting from the visitor’s overall experience; and visitors are shifting to older, highly educated, wealthy travelers (125 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT Current and Historic Visitor Experiences in Coastal Alaskan Wilderness: Visitor Motivations and Experience Quality in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve Gabriella R Furr Visitors to parks and protected areas (PPAs) engage in a variety of activities and choose different modes of travel, especially when the location itself has few limitations, such as open-water settings with relatively few backcountry visitors Managers must understand why visitors are recreating in a particular place and the quality of their experiences in order to offer appropriate and meaningful opportunities This study seeks to better understand visitor motivations (the “why”), to develop and measure effective indicators for evaluating the quality of visitor experiences, and to contextualize these findings with a unique investigation of historical Glacier Bay National Park data This study contributes to current literature by exploring visitor dimensions in a coastal Alaskan park Visitor intercept surveys were conducted for six different visitor groups Several statistical analyses were completed, resulting in eight visitor motivations, a threegroup clustering of visitors based on their motivations, and an overall report of highquality experiences Historical comparisons confirm that decades later visitors continue to be motivated by opportunities to experience glaciers, solitude, and natural connection and renewal; litter, cruise ships and propeller-driven aircrafts continue to be the main social factors detracting from the visitor’s overall experience; and visitors are shifting to older, highly educated, wealthy travelers vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my committee members, Drs Christopher Monz, Mark Brunson, and Jennifer Peeples, for your support and assistance throughout this process Chris, thank you for guiding me through an ever changing project, making time for me even when your schedule was packed and challenging me to step outside my comfort zone Mark, thank you for always being in your office ready to chat, for working with me to complete my NREE Certificate and for continually reminding me of my passion for natural resources And Jen, thank you for sticking with me even though the focus of my project shifted You have brought a different and important perspective to both my studies and my work, and for that I am grateful I have genuine gratitude for my lab mates, Shannon Wesstrom, Chase Lamborn, Abby Sisneros-Kidd, and Noah Creany Shannon, you have made my life at USU infinitely more enjoyable Thank you for all your work on the GLBA project, for always making me laugh and for always being willing to get distracted when I needed to talk something through Chase and Abby, I could not have done this research without you You both have been the most helpful mentors and I’m not even sure you know it And Noah, thank you for your support and humor when I needed it most To my family and friends, thank you for your love, encouragement, moral support, and patience as I worked my way through this process You have calmed me at my most anxious and brought me back up when I needed a push Thank you for always providing warm words of wisdom Finally, thank you to the many dogs that have offered emotional support, but mostly to you, Lily You are my favorite being and I will miss you dearly We will go hike in the mountains to celebrate Gabriella R Furr vii CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi CONTENTS .vii LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES .x CHAPTER INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Introduction Literature Review .2 Motivations Quality of Experience Summary 14 References 16 CHAPTER CURRENT AND HISTORIC VISITOR EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL ALASKAN WILDERNESS: VISITOR MOTIVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE QUALITY IN GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE .28 Abstract 28 Keywords 29 Introduction 30 Historic Context .34 Methods 35 Study Site .35 Survey Methodology and Sampling Approach 36 Statistical Analysis 42 Results 45 Visitor Socio-demographics 45 Visitor motivations .47 Type of visitor categorized by motivations 53 Overall quality of experience 56 Relevant Historical Data 62 Discussion 66 viii Historical Trends 70 Management Implications 72 References 74 CHAPTER CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS 83 Summary of Findings .83 Management Implications 85 Research Limitations 86 Future Research Considerations .87 Conclusion 88 References 89 APPENDIX A: 2017 PRE-EXPERIENCE SURVEY .90 APPENDIX B: 2018 POST-EXPERIENCE SURVEY - GUIDED, MOTORIZED SPECIFIC 98 APPENDIX C: 2018 POST-EXPERIENCE SURVEY - INDEPENDENT BACKCOUNTRY SPECIFIC 104 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page Detailed methodological protocols for data collection .41 Visitor Demographics 46 Open-ended responses for overall purpose for visitation 48 Open-ended responses for what visitors are seeking during their experience .49 Factor analysis, reliability and scale means for visitor experience scale 51 Cluster analysis of factor scores from experience scales 55 Proportion of population distributed between clusters for each user group 56 Comparison of motivations by sampling populations 54 A comparison of mean experience quality by visitor type 58 10 Factors that added most to the visitor experience .59 11 Factors that detracted most from visitor experience 60 12 Social encounters and the effect on the visitor experience .61 13 Motivations for visiting the backcountry: Comparison of 1978, 1984, and 2017 Glacier Bay studies 63 14 Evidence of human use seen in the backcountry: Comparison of 1978, 1984, and 2018 Glacier Bay studies 64 15 Campers’ reactions to sightings of other parties and crafts: Comparison of 1978 and 1984 Glacier Bay studies 65 101 9) Please rate the quality of your experience in the following areas based on your visit within Glacier Bay National Park (GBNP) Please select only one response for each item AVERAGE GOOD VERY GOOD Natural Connection & Renewal (e.g., experiencing a spiritual connection with nature; experiencing a positive change in mood Opportunities for Adventure (e.g., experiencing a sense of challenge; being self-reliant in the wilderness) Solitude & Natural Sounds (e.g., being away from crowds of people; enjoying the sounds of nature) Experience Glaciers (e.g., viewing scenic beauty and glaciers; experiencing a recently glaciated, dynamic landscape) Opportunities to View Wildlife (e.g., viewing and photographing wildlife in nature) VERY POOR POOR Quality of… Not Applicable QUALITY 5 5 102 10) Please indicate whether you saw any of the following during your Glacier Bay National Park visit If you did, please indicate how many and if you were bothered by what you saw Not at All Slightly Moderately Very Extremely If seen, how much did this bother you? Cruise ships NO YES → Kayaks NO YES → Tents on the beach NO YES → Motorized boats (other than cruise ships) NO YES → People on the beach NO YES → Litter Groups you saw who were on land Groups you saw who were on the water Propeller-driven aircraft NO YES → NO YES → NO YES → NO YES → Seen during your trip (Circle one) Total number seen during trip 11) Did the actions or behavior of any other group or individual interfere with your enjoyment of the wilderness on this trip?  NO  YES If YES, how did they specifically interfere with your enjoyment of this trip? 12) How would you describe your current knowledge of “Leave No Trace” practices? Please select only one number No Knowledge Very Limited Limited Fair Above Average Extensive 103 13) How would you characterize your interaction with wilderness on this trip? None at all  Very little  Moderate  Quite a bit  A great deal  Please describe how you interacted with wilderness during this trip _ 14) Please provide the following information: a) What is your home ZIP code? _ OR, what country are you from? _ 15) How many people were in your group, including you? _ [Number of people] 16) What is your age? _ 17) What is your gender? Male Female 18) Are there any other comments you would like to provide the park regarding your wilderness experience from the day boat or the way the park manages wilderness in Glacier Bay National Park? 104 APPENDIX C 2018 POST-EXPERIENCE SURVEY - INDEPENDENT BACKCOUNTRY SPECIFIC OMB Number: 1024-0224 Expiration Date: 9-30-2018 Glacier Bay National Park 2018 Backcountry Visitor Survey Paperwork Reduction and Privacy Act Statements: The Paperwork Reduction Act requires us to tell you why we are collecting this information, how we will use it, and whether or not you have to respond We are authorized by the National Park Service Protection Interpretation and research in System (54 USC §100702) to collect this information The routine uses of this information will be for the benefit of NPS Managers and Planning staff of Glacier Bay National Park in future initiatives related to existing visitor use patterns, experiences, and perspectives about backcountry recreation within the park Your participation is completely voluntary and can end the process at any time without being penalized in any way for choosing to so All paper versions of the information collected will be destroyed at the end of the collection period and no personal identifiable records will be maintained or stored for any purposes Data collected will only be reported in aggregates and no individually identifiable responses will be reported A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number (1024-0224) We estimate that it will take about 12 minutes to complete this questionnaire You may send comments concerning any aspect of this information collection to Chris Monz, Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University; chris.monz@usu.edu (email); or Phadrea Ponds, NPS Information Collection Coordinator, Fort Collins, CO 80525, pponds@nps.gov (email) The response time is approximately 12 minutes Please direct comments regarding this study to: Sara Doyle Outdoor Recreational Planner National Park Service Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve sara_doyle@nps.gov (907) 697-2675 Administrative use only Date: Location: Christopher Monz Professor Department of Environment and Society Utah State University chris.monz@usu.edu 105 1) In the past years, how many trips have you made to Glacier Bay National Park, including this trip?  Once, this is my first time    4-10  > 10 If you answered >10, please specify how many times you have visited (Numeric value only) 2) Over your lifetime, how many trips have you made to Glacier Bay National Park, including this trip?  Once, this is my first time    4-10  > 10 If you answered >10, please specify how many times you have visited (Numeric value only) 3) During your current visit, did you spend more than one day in the backcountry wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park (GBNP) by foot or vessel (outside of Bartlett Cove)? NO —If NO, for how long? Hours YES— If YES, for how long? Days _ 4) What types of transportation did you use while visiting GBNP? (Check all that apply.) Hiking/Walking Kayaking (personal kayak) Kayaking (rental kayak) Tour Boat/Charter Boat Pack raft or other non-motorized vessel (besides kayak) Personal Motor Boat Personal Aircraft Air Taxi/Charter Other (please specify): Check all that apply         106 5) Please indicate the backcountry locations you visited during your trip to GBNP by indicating the location and modes: Areas Below Correspond to Reference Map Locations Beardslee Islands Non-motorized waters of Glacier Bay East Arm Glacier Bay (north of Muir Point) West Arm Glacier Bay (northwest of Tlingit Point) Mid Bay (Willoughby Island north to Tlingit Point and Muir Point) Lower Bay (north of Pt Gustavus, south of Willoughby Island, and excluding the Beardslee Islands) Inland areas of the park (more than one mile inland from the shoreline) Icy Strait/Cross Sound (Dundas Bay, Taylor Bay/Fern Harbor) Outer Coast Not Sure ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ No Yes ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Other location(s): 107 6) What about your direct interaction with the backcountry wilderness added most to your experience? 7) What about your direct interaction with the backcountry wilderness detracted most from your experience? 8) What about your Glacier Bay National Park backcountry wilderness experience added to your ability to experience adventure? 9) Were you able to experience a connection to nature and a sense of renewal during your backcountry wilderness visit in GBNP?  NO If no, why not? _  YES If yes, how? _ Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Glacier Bay National Park means a lot to me I enjoy [recreating] in Glacier Bay National Park more than in any other park I am very attached to Glacier Bay National Park I wouldn't substitute any other [park, wilderness area] for [what] I in Glacier Bay National Park I identify strongly with Glacier Bay National Park I get more satisfaction out of visiting Glacier Bay National Park than from visiting any other [wilderness] area A [wilderness experience] in Glacier Bay National Park is more important than a [wilderness experience] in any other place No other place can compare to Glacier Bay National Park Strongly Disagree 10) Indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the statements Please select only one response for each item 5 5 5 5 108 11) Please rate the quality of your experience in the following areas based on your visit within Glacier Bay National Park (GBNP) Please select only one response for each item POOR GOOD VERY GOOD Opportunities for Adventure (e.g., experiencing a sense of challenge; being self-reliant in the wilderness) Solitude & Natural Sounds (e.g., being away from crowds of people; enjoying the sounds of nature) Experience Glaciers (e.g., viewing scenic beauty and glaciers; experiencing a recently glaciated, dynamic landscape) Opportunities to View Wildlife (e.g., viewing and photographing wildlife in nature) VERY POOR Natural Connection & Renewal (e.g., experiencing a spiritual connection with nature; experiencing a positive change in mood Not Applicable Quality of… AVERAGE QUALITY 5 5 109 12) Please indicate whether you saw any of the following during your Glacier Bay National Park visit If you did, please indicate how many and if you were bothered by what you saw People on the beach NPS backcountry staff (such as law enforcement and researchers) NO Human waste NO Campfire rings NO Litter NO Cut bushes or trees NO Hiker-made trails NO Hiker-made campsites (e.g soil compaction, vegetation trampling due to tents, tent rocks) Groups you saw who were on land Groups you saw who were on the water Propeller-driven aircraft NO NO NO NO YES → YES → YES → YES → YES → YES → YES → YES → YES → YES → Extremely Motorized boats (other than cruise ships) Very Tents on the beach Moderately Kayaks Slightly Cruise ships Seen during your trip (Circle one) YES NO → YES NO → YES NO → YES NO → YES NO → Total number seen during trip Not at All If seen, how much did this bother you? 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 110 13) Please indicate how the quantity of each of the following items during your visit affected the quality of your wilderness experience Please select  only one for each item Added Somewhat Added Greatly Cruise ships you saw and/or heard Scientific research signs, including people and equipment NPS backcountry staff (law enforcement, researchers) Had No Effect Vessel wakes you saw, heard or felt Detract Somewhat Tents on beaches Motorized boats you heard (other than cruise ships) Detracted Greatly Kayaking groups encountered Not Applicable How might it affect the quality of your wilderness experience? 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 5 14) Did the actions or behavior of any other group or individual interfere with your enjoyment of the wilderness on this trip?  NO  YES If YES, how did they specifically interfere with your enjoyment of this trip? _ 111 15) Did you have difficulty finding a place to camp or anchor based on the number or location of other groups you encountered? (Check one.)  NO  YES If yes, where? _  Not Applicable 16) Please indicate if you heard the following sound during your wilderness trip If so, how was your backcountry wilderness experience affected, compared to what you expected? Please select only one response for each item Not at All Slightly Moderately Very Extremely If heard, how much did this bother you? YES → NO YES → Loud music Public address system aboard commercial vessels NO YES → NO YES → Boat motors NO YES → Aircraft NO YES → Other NO YES → Sound of generators Seen during your trip (Circle one) NO YES → Vessel wake crashing on the beach NO People shouting or speaking loudly 112 17) While visiting wilderness areas, how might experiencing each of the following items affect the quality of your backcountry wilderness experience? Please select only one for each item Detract Greatly Detract Somewhat No Effect Add Somewhat Add Greatly How might it affect the quality of your wilderness experience? Encountering NPS backcountry staff Being required to use bear cans Presence of designated campsites Presence of developed facilities (e.g …rain shelters, bridges over rivers) Presence of outhouses 1 2 3 4 5 5 Presence of floating cabins or rafts Presence of developed trails 18) How would you describe your current knowledge of “Leave No Trace” practices? Please select only one number No Knowledge Very Limited Limited Fair Above Average Extensive 19) What, if anything, prevented you from following Leave No Trace practices while traveling in the backcountry? 113 20) How did the amount of information provided by the backcountry orientation video at the Visitor Information Station affect your backcountry wilderness experience? Tides Detract Greatly (way too much information) Detract Somewhat No Effect Add Somewhat Added Greatly (the right amount of information) Routes Bears/Food Storage Selecting campsites NPS regulations on what you can NPS regulations on where you can go Day boat transportation 5 5 Potential challenges Importance of selfreliance Human waste 21 a) Are there any gaps in the information provided in the backcountry orientation video and the NPS staff presentation that would have added to your backcountry wilderness experience? YES NO b) What would you [and your personal group] recommend to improve the current backcountry orientation video and the NPS staff presentation provided by GBNP? Please be specific 114 22) Please provide the following information: a) What is your home ZIP code? OR, what country are you from? 23) How many people were in your group, including you? people] _ [Number of 24) What is your age? _ 25) What is your gender?  Male  Female 26) Are there any other comments you would like to provide the park regarding your wilderness experience or the way the park manages wilderness in Glacier Bay National Park? WAIT! YOU’RE ALMOST DONE… For the last section of the survey, the survey attendant has two series of photographs of conditions that you may have experienced in Glacier Bay backcountry Please notify the survey attendant that you are ready to view the photographs 115 27) Please rate the following images according to how unacceptable or acceptable the number of tents on the beach is while in wilderness Please use the scale below to indicate how unacceptable or acceptable the images are to you Photo Highly Slightly Slightly Highly Unacceptable Neutral Acceptable unacceptable unacceptable acceptable acceptable -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 28) Please rate the following images according to how unacceptable or acceptable the coastal conditions are while in wilderness Please use the scale below to indicate how unacceptable or acceptable the images are to you Photo Highly Slightly Slightly Highly Unacceptable Neutral Acceptable unacceptable unacceptable acceptable acceptable -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 Photo -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 ... Washington, DC: Island Press Manning, R E., & Lime, D W (2000) Defining and managing the quality of wilderness recreation experiences Defining and Managing the Quality of Wilderness Recreation Experiences. ,... Current and Historic Visitor Experiences in Coastal Alaskan Wilderness: Visitor Motivations and Experience Quality in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve Gabriella R Furr Visitors to parks and. .. 14 References 16 CHAPTER CURRENT AND HISTORIC VISITOR EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL ALASKAN WILDERNESS: VISITOR MOTIVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE QUALITY IN GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE