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With
almost 300 million visitors in 1999, there can be
little doubt about the popularity of our National
Parks, but the feelings Americans have for their National
Parks means much more than that.
In
February-May 1998, Colorado State University in partnership
with the National Parks Conservation Association conducted
a mail questionnaire survey of representative households
in the United States. The
following conclusions drawn from the specific findings
of this survey can be found in the Executive Summary:
General
Conclusions
The
American public loves our national parks and wants
them protected. That belief does not vary by political
affiliation or geographic location.
Americans,
whether or not they have visited the parks, believe
that park resources must be protected. There is support
for strong resource protection even among those whose
only contact with the parks has been vicarious.
Protecting
parks is a nonpartisan issue. There is no significant
difference among Republicans, Democrats, and independents
when it comes to park protection.
In
addition, support for strong park protection measures
is similar for Easterners and Westerners. This finding
may work to debunk the myth that park lovers are "liberal
Eastern environmentalists who don't understand how
things are in the West."
Park
Values
Americans
understand that while national parks are places we
may enjoy today, their most important value is what
they will be tomorrow.
"Preserving
America's most significant places for future generations"
is the most important reason given by survey respondents
for having national parks: 88% of respondents feel
this is "very important." This response was the same
as we found in our 1995 CSU survey.
Other
national park purposes considered "very important"
are "protect wildlife habitat" (78%), "preserve natural
ecosystems" (73%), "protect air and water quality"
(73%), "preserve our country's culture and history"
(70%), and "educate people about nature, history,
and culture" (69%).
Far
fewer Americans (49%) see park recreational opportunities
as a very important reason for having national parks.
Only a fraction (14%) see providing income for the tourist
industry as a very important reason for having parks.
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