COVID-19’s Impact on Visitation Behavior to US National Parks From Communities of Color - Evidence From Mobile Phone Data

Abstract The widespread COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed many people’s ways of life. With the necessity of social distancing and lock downs across the United States, evidence shows more people engage in outdoor activities. With the utilization of location-based service (LBS) data, we seek to explore how visitation patterns to national parks changed among communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show that visitation rates to national parks located closer than 347km to individuals have increased amidst the pandemic, but the converse was demonstrated amongst parks located further than 347km from individuals. More importantly, COVID-19 has adversely impacted visitation figures amongst non-white and Native American communities, with visitation volumes declining if these communities are situated further from national parks. Our results show disproportionately low-representations amongst national park visitors from these communities of color. African American communities display a particularly concerning trend whereby their visitation to national parks is substantially lower amongst communities closer to national parks.

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COVID-19's impact on visitation behavior to US national parks from communities of color - Evidence from mobile phone data

10.31235/osf.io/hmrpf ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Charles Alba ◽

Bing Pan ◽

Junjun Yin ◽

William L. Rice ◽

Michael Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Native American ◽

National Parks ◽

The United States ◽

Mobile Phone Data ◽

Location Based Service ◽

Way Of Life ◽

Communities Of Color ◽

Visitation Rates ◽

Service Data ◽

Us National Parks

The widespread COVID-19 pandemic changed the fundamentals of people's way of life. With the necessity of social distancing and lock downs across the United States, evidence shows more people engage in outdoor activities. With the utilization of location-based service data, we seek to explore how visitation patterns to national parks have changed from distinct communities of color amidst the COVID- 19 pandemic. Our results show that visitation rates to national parks located closer than 353km have increased amidst the pandemic, but the converse was demonstrated amongst parks located further than 353km. More importantly, COVID-19 has adversely impacted visitation figures amongst non-white and Native American communities, with visitation volumes worsening if these communities are situated further from national parks. Our results show disproportionate representations amongst national park visitors from these communities of color. African American communities display a particularly concerning trend whereby their visitation to national parks is significantly lower amongst communities closer to national parks.

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From Competition to Cooperation: A History of Canada–US National Park Relations

Environment and History ◽

10.3197/096734019x15631846928783 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Terence Young ◽

Alan MacEachern ◽

Lary Dilsaver

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

The United States ◽

The Us ◽

Park Service ◽

Settler Societies ◽

History Of ◽

Relationship Of ◽

Flow Of Information ◽

The Relationship

This essay explores the evolving international relationship of the two national park agencies that in 1968 began to offer joint training classes for protected-area managers from around the world. Within the British settler societies that dominated nineteenth century park-making, the United States’ National Park Service (NPS) and Canada’s National Parks Branch were the most closely linked and most frequently cooperative. Contrary to campfire myths and nationalist narratives, however, the relationship was not a one-way flow of information and motivation from the US to Canada. Indeed, the latter boasted a park bureaucracy before the NPS was established. The relationship of the two nations’ park leaders in the half century leading up to 1968 demonstrates the complexity of defining the influences on park management and its diffusion from one country to another.

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For Science or Tourism?

Into Russian Nature ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190914554.003.0002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 13-36

Author(s):

Alan D. Roe

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

Scientific Research ◽

Russian Empire ◽

Game Management ◽

Government Officials ◽

Geographical Society ◽

Late Nineteenth ◽

The Russian Empire ◽

Us National Parks

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many countries embraced the national park concept as a way of showcasing their scenic landscapes and developing internal tourism. Many members of the Russian Imperial Geographical Society called for a system of parks in the Russian Empire. However, following the Great October Revolution of 1917, Russian conservationists and game management professionals instead pushed the state to establish zapovedniki dedicated to scientific research as well as some that served as game preserves. As “science for science’s sake” came under more suspicion in the 1930s, many supporters of the zapovedniki promoted tourism in them to make them seem more “useful” to government officials. By the late 1930s, tens of thousands of tourists entered the zapovedniki every year. Even in a climate of fear and xenophobia, some tourism promoters used the example of US national parks as they argued that zapovedniki should accommodate still more tourists.

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Sustainable Heritage Tourism: Native American Preservation Recommendations at Arches, Canyonlands, and Hovenweep National Parks

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12239846 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (23) ◽

pp. 9846

Author(s):

Richard Stoffle ◽

Octavius Seowtewa ◽

Cameron Kays ◽

Kathleen Van Vlack

Keyword(s):

Native American ◽

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

Cultural Landscape ◽

Cultural Landscapes ◽

Heritage Tourism ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Ethnographic Study ◽

Heritage Management ◽

Park Service

The sustainable use of Native American heritage places is viewed in this analysis as serving to preserve their traditional purposes and sustaining the cultural landscapes that give them heritage meaning. The research concerns the potential impacts of heritage tourism to selected Native American places at Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Hovenweep National Monument. The impacts of tourists on a heritage place must be understood as having both potential effects on the place itself and on an integrated cultural landscape. Impacts to one place potentially change other places. Their functions in a Native American landscape, and the integrity of the landscape itself. The analysis is based on 696 interviews with representatives from nine tribes and pueblos, who, in addition to defining the cultural meaning of places, officially made 349 heritage management recommendations. The U.S. National Park Service interprets Natives American resources and then brings millions of tourists to these through museums, brochures, outdoor displays, and ranger-guided tours. Native American ethnographic study participants argued that tourist education and regulation can increase the sustainability of Native American places in a park and can help protect related places beyond the park.

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Valuing Our National Parks: An Ecological Economics Perspective

Land ◽

10.3390/land8040054 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 54

Author(s):

Paul Sutton ◽

Sophia Duncan ◽

Sharolyn Anderson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

National Parks ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

National Park ◽

National Park Service ◽

Natural Capital ◽

The United States ◽

Commercial Real Estate ◽

Annual Budget ◽

Park Service

The annual budget for the United States National Park Service was roughly $3 billion in 2016. This is distributed amongst 405 National Parks, 23 national scenic and historic trails, and 60 wild and scenic rivers. Entrance fees and concessions generate millions of dollars in income for the National Park Service; however, this metric fails to account for the total value of the National Parks. In failing to consider the value of the ecosystem services provided by the National Parks, we fail to quantify and appreciate the contributions our parks make to society. This oversight allows us to continue to underfund a valuable part of our natural capital and consequently damage our supporting environment, national heritage, monetary economy, and many of our diverse cultures. We explore a simple benefits transfer valuation of the United States’ national parks using National Land Cover Data from 2011 and ecosystem service values determined by Costanza et al. This produces an estimate suggesting the parks provide $98 billion/year in ecosystem service value. If the natural infrastructure ‘asset’ that is our national park system had a budget comparable to a piece of commercial real estate of this value, the annual budget of the National Park Service would be roughly an order of magnitude larger at something closer to $30 billion rather than $3 billion.

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A Life in the Practice of Anthropology: Muriel Crespi and the Development of the Ethnography Program in the National Parks

Practicing Anthropology ◽

10.17730/praa.26.1.m00432056123j15w ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 2-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gretchen Schafft

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Ethnic Groups ◽

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

National Park Service ◽

The United States ◽

Seminal Work ◽

Park Service

This issue of Practicing Anthropology is devoted to an exposition and discussion of the seminal work of Muriel (Miki) Crespi and its impact on the United States National Park Service (NPS). Changes that Crespi initiated and achieved with the collaboration of colleagues greatly enhanced the commemoration and documentation of the heritage of varied ethnic groups around whose lives and artifacts our national parks have been developed.

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The National Park of Gorongoza

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605300039016 ◽

1956 ◽

Vol 3 (6) ◽

pp. 298-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mario de Alcantara

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

The United States ◽

The World ◽

Wild Life

“Gorongoza is, without any doubt, one of the most marvellous wild life sanctuaries in the world. The variety and abundance of animals is wonderful. Nobody should let slip an opportunity of seeing this place where old Africa has been safely preserved.”These were the words of admiration which Mr. Victor Cahalane, chief biologist of the United States National Parks Department, entered in the visitors' book after his visit to the Gorongoza Park.

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Valuing Our National Parks: An Ecological Economics Perspective

10.20944/preprints201810.0661.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Paul C. Sutton ◽

Sophia L. Duncan ◽

Sharolyn J. Anderson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

National Parks ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

National Park ◽

National Park Service ◽

Natural Capital ◽

The United States ◽

Commercial Real Estate ◽

Annual Budget ◽

Park Service

The annual budget for the United States National Park Service was roughly three billion dollars in 2016. This is distributed amongst 405 National Parks, 23 national scenic and historic trails, and 60 wild and scenic rivers. Entrance fees and concessions generate millions of dollars in income for the National Park Service; however, this metric fails to account for the total value of the National Parks. In failing to consider the value of the ecosystem services provided by the National Parks we fail to quantify and appreciate the contributions our parks make to society. This oversight allows us to continue to underfund a valuable part of our natural capital and consequently damage our supporting environment, national heritage, monetary economy, and many of our diverse cultures. We explore a simple benefits transfer valuation of the United States national parks using National Land Cover Data from 2011 and ecosystem service values determined by Costanza (et al). This produces an estimate suggesting the parks provide $84 billion / year in ecosystem service value. If the natural infrastructure 'asset' that is our national park system had a budget comparable to a piece of commercial real estate of this value, the annual budget of the National Park Service would be roughly an order of magnitude larger at something closer to $30 billion rather than $3 billion.

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Sustainable Heritage Tourism: Native American Preservation Recommendations at Arches, Canyonlands, and Hovenweep National Parks

10.20944/preprints202010.0489.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Richard Stoffle ◽

Octavius Seowtewa ◽

Cameron Kays ◽

Kathleen Van Vlack

Keyword(s):

Native American ◽

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

Cultural Landscape ◽

Cultural Landscapes ◽

Heritage Tourism ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Ethnographic Study ◽

Heritage Management ◽

Park Service

Abstract: Sustainable use of Native American heritage places is viewed in this analysis as serving to preserve their traditional purposes and sustain the cultural landscapes that give them heritage meaning. The research is about the potential impacts of heritage tourism to selected Native American places at Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Hovenweep National Monument. The impacts of tourists to a heritage place must be understood as having both potential effects on the place itself and on an integrated cultural landscape. Impacts to one place potentially change other places- functions in a Native American landscape and the integrity of the landscape itself. The analysis is based on 696 interviews with representatives from nine tribes and pueblos, who in addition to defining the cultural meaning of places, officially made 349 heritage management recommendations. The U.S. National Park Service interprets Natives American resources and then brings millions of tourists to these through museums, brochures, outdoor displays, and ranger-guided tours. Native American ethnographic study participants argued that tourist education and regulation can increase the sustainability of Native American places in a park and can help protect related places beyond the park.

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Words are Monuments: Racism and Colonialism Conserved in Place Names

10.31235/osf.io/fdcmz ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bonnie McGill ◽

Stephanie B. Borrelle ◽

Grace C. Wu ◽

Kurt E. Ingeman ◽

Jonathan B. Koch ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

National Park ◽

People Of Color ◽

Place Names ◽

Small Step ◽

Human Wellbeing ◽

Problem Types ◽

Outdoor Spaces ◽

Spatial Exclusion ◽

Us National Parks

Conservation science aims to improve human wellbeing through environmental management, but the discipline must reckon with the living legacies of its history including racism and colonialism. US national parks are symbolic of conservation and ripe for examination for their contribution to socio-spatial exclusion of Black, Indigenous and other people of color from outdoor spaces. We examined the origins of over 2,000 place names in 16 (26% of) US national parks to quantify the extent that national park narratives perpetuate colonialism and racism. Through iterative thematic analysis of place name origins we constructed a decision tree for classifying place name problem types according to their dimensions of racism and colonialism (if any), which enabled quantification and spatial analysis of problem types by park. We found that these highly visible conservation landscapes commemorate individuals and words that tacitly endorse racist and anti-Indigenous ideologies at a system scale. Changing these names is one small step towards dismantling colonialist and racist narratives and towards making public conservation landscapes more inclusive.

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