National Visitor Use Monitoring survey underway on Shawnee

The U.S. Forest Service has announced plans for a National Visitor Use Monitoring survey.

With the survey underway, members of the public will encounter employees and volunteers working in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. Part of the national forest is in Union County.

The employees and volunteers will be seen in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along Forest Service roads. 

They will be out in all types of weather conditions, wearing bright orange vests and be near a sign that says, “Traffic Survey Ahead.”  

The National Visitor Use Monitoring survey which is being conducted on the Shawnee National Forest began Oct. 1 and is scheduled to continue through Sept. 30, 2023.

The Forest Service said in a news release that the information which is gathered is useful for forest planning, as well as local community tourism planning. 

The survey provides national forest managers with an estimate of how many people actually utilize the national forest for recreational purposes, what activities they engage in while visiting the forest and how satisfied people were with their visit. 

Economic impact to the local economy is also captured in the survey. 

The survey gathers basic visitor information. Surveys are voluntary and all responses are confidential; names are not included. 

Interviews last about 10 minutes. Questions which are asked include: 

Where did recreational activities occur on the forest? How many people traveled with you? How long were you on the forest? What other recreation sites did you visit while on the forest? How satisfied were you with the facilities and services provided?

About a third of the visitors will be asked to complete a confidential survey about recreation spending during their trip. 

“Although the survey is entirely voluntary, participation is extremely important so we can assess visitor experiences on the forest and strive to make it a better place to visit,” Shawnee National Forest recreation program manager Chad Deaton said. 

“We would appreciate it if visitors would pull over and answer a few questions. It’s important for interviewers to talk with local people using the forest, as well as out-of-area visitors, so all types of visitors are represented in the study.”

Information about the National Visitor Use Monitoring program can be found online at https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nvum.