What is SCORP?
Per federal regulations, each state must complete a statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan every five years to receive resource appropriations from the National Land and Water Conservation Fund. These funds, distributed per state, are then used to increase outdoor recreation access and participation via state approved projects. Each state must submit this plan to the National Park Service to meet requirements for funds distribution. Part of this plan includes outdoor recreation user and provider surveying to identify participation rates, access issues, and concerns related to current and future areas and facility needs. Many communities have benefitted from these allocated funds via the Outdoor Recreation Grants Program.
What do I need to know about the survey?
The survey is hosted online through QuestionPro. It is a software that is licensed by the university and used widely in research. The survey is set up so that a person must agree to participate and be 18 years of age or older to continue. From there, the survey will ask a series of questions about outdoor recreation participation and perceptions. If an adult notes they have children, it will ask questions about what types of outdoor recreation activities the children participate in. If the respondent notes they have no children, it is designed to skip those questions. From there it will ask a series of questions about the respondent’s outdoor recreation participation, motivations for outdoor recreation, and thoughts related to barrier to outdoor recreation participation. It will conclude with a few simple demographic questions that will be used in analysis only. The survey has been taken many times during drafting and is estimated to take an average of about 15 minutes. The survey and research process has passed the internal review board process at Arkansas Tech University to assure privacy, confidentiality, and that participation poses no more risk than an individual encounters in their everyday life. While every effort will be made to keep data anonymous, QuestionPro does collect IP addresses. This information will not be published and will not be used to discover more information from or about the participants. Data will be kept on password-protected devices and accounts. The intro the online survey includes all this information for individuals beginning the survey.
Who do I contact if I have questions?
You can send an email to Michael Bradley with any questions about the survey or the survey process. To learn more about the Outdoor Recreation Grants Program visit www.outdoorgrants.com.
Letter from Michael:
Dear ARPA Members,
Hello, my name is Mike Bradley, faculty at Arkansas Tech University and a fellow ARPA member. I am working with Arkansas State Parks to recruit respondents for the current Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) surveys. There are two surveys that are being distributed: resident survey and the provider survey. The residential survey has been sent to every mayor of any city/town of at least 1,000 residents. However, if you would share the info and link through your channels, I would be most appreciative. I will put info below (in purple) regarding the residential survey.
Resident/User Survey Information:
We want to ensure residents in your community and geographic area are represented and need your help distributing an online survey. Below, I will include information about SCORP and about the survey. We know each community has a variety of ways to communicate and would like you to help us spread the word and distribute the survey link. In some communities there is a list of emails, some a local newspaper, a church, a facebook group, and so forth. We plan to wrap up initial data collection on/about July 15, 2022, but we may keep the survey open afterward to allow for further responses. After getting the details below, would you be willing to help me share the survey link? I would sincerely appreciate any help in getting this to the most people. I want to make sure as many Arkansans are represented as possible. Below I will include some sample verbiage and the link for your use. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, I am happy to provide more information or help in any way I can.
For Use With Residential Survey:
Good Morning/Afternoon –
I am helping distribute a link to an online research survey about outdoor recreation in Arkansas. The survey has been vetted by Arkansas Tech University and your participation is completely voluntary and confidential. Information from this survey is helpful at the local and state levels to increase outdoor recreation opportunities. If you are 18 years of age or older, we would really appreciate your help by taking the survey. Here is the link: https://particpant2022scorp.questionpro.com/SCORP2022
Thank you again and have a wonderful day.