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Grand Canyon plans first<br>visitor survey since 1976

Grand Canyon National Park plans to do its first visitor survey in a quarter-century this coming summer.

Judy Hellmich, the park’s chief of interpretation, said Grand Canyon was selected as a site for a seven- to 10-day survey to be conducted in June or July. The standardized surveys, created through the National Park Service’s Washington office and the University of Idaho, will give officials needed hard facts on visitation.

"We’ll be sending surveys out all over the park," Hellmich said at Thursday’s community meeting hosted by the park. "They’ll be handed to visitors, not just left out, and the gathering of information will be done at that time."

The surveys will be done in the South Rim area, including Desert View, but probably not on the North Rim because of logistical problems.

It will be the first visitor survey done at Grand Canyon since 1976.

Among the topics addressed on the survey will be questions about facilities, entrances, activities, length of stay, group information (for example, tour group or private vehicle), and type of group (for example, educational or recreational tour). Basic information about the person being surveyed, such as age and residence, will also be collected.

"We also have the ability to answer questions we have about visitor thoughts on upcoming infrastructure development and what they’d like to see happen and how we can better serve our visitors," Hellmich said. "Sometimes we’ve had problems with visitors leaving angry."

Hellmich said she’s also interested in coordinating something with businesses in Tusayan as well as the park to find out what type of questions they’d like to have answered. She hopes to set up something through the Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce.

"If they’re looking outside the park for lodging, why — because lodges are full inside or because outside it’s cheaper?" Hellmich said. "Also, how did they find out about coming here, from the chamber Web site, railroad Web site, the park’s Web site, Quality Inn’s Web site? Those are really important questions."

The survey will probably heavily involve Americans on family vacations, Hellmich said, because of the June-July target period. Foreign visitors tend to visit Grand Canyon later in the summer and early fall.

The survey will be financed through the NPS and Grand Canyon Association with a price tag of $22,000. It will be printed only in English because of the cost.

Hellmich said the park’s survey should not be confused with a more comprehensive regional survey to be conducted through Northern Arizona University. That survey, which needs funding and must coordinate with the NPS, will be done over a 12-month period.

Plans call for a meeting on Jan. 29 to come up with questions for the park’s survey.

In other news from the Nov. 14 meeting:

o GCNP fire information officer Donna Nemeth reported that 250 acres of piles were burned on the North Rim last week. She said there were still a number of piles to be burned.

o Grand Canyon Railway reported progress on its platform project with the first phase estimated for completion this week. Future work includes rehabilitation to the depot and fences.

o Grand Canyon Community Recreation Center manager Joe Abbatacola reported that no final decision has been made on a possible sand volleyball court. A proposal calls for the court to be located near the ramada-picnic area.

o Arizona Public Service’s Don Keil reported progress on Desert View-area projects, including the road realignment. Keil said that project is estimated to be completed in February or March. Other phases include construction of apartment buildings for the NPS and Xanterra and a sewer treatment plant.

o Tom Pittenger of the NPS reported reclaimed water pipes will be installed on the school’s baseball field. Next summer, plans call for the field to be seeded.

o Verkamp’s Dan Ashley said a fire suppression and alarm system is being installed at the South Rim curio business. The project will begin after blueprint revisions have been made. A ground-breaking will likely occur in January, Ashley said, with installation done 30 to 60 days thereafter.

o NPS compliance officer Sara White said the Grand Canyon School’s kitchen addition project will go out for a 30-day public review period this week, and the backcountry information center is currently in the environmental assessment period.

o White reported a total of approximately 20,000 comments were received from the public on the Colorado River Management Plan. On the last day comments were due, the NPS received a compact disc with 7,500 form letters on it. White said all comments are currently being reviewed and compiled into a database.

o The emergency services additions to Grand Canyon Walk-In Clinic will likely begin in the next month or so, White reported. Compliance for the work has been finished. The addition will house the park’s emergency vehicles and equipment.

o Pittenger reported new picnic tables have been placed in several places around the park with more to come. Pittenger said volunteers are welcome to help with the next batch on Friday. Work will begin at 8 a.m., in an area behind the NPS maintenance warehouse.

o Pittenger also reported on the Greenway Trail’s opening of a 1.3-mile segment from Mather Point to Pipe Creek Vista and said he’s 90 percent sure that work on a shuttle bus stop will begin soon. Work must be completed at the site before February because of the Mexican Spotted Owl’s breeding season.

o Paul Revere Transportation reported its winter schedule will begin Dec. 1. At that time, service to Hermit’s Rest will end and will not begin again until March 1. Six buses will run from 6:15 a.m.-9:15 p.m., with four on the village route and two on the Kaibab-Yaki route. Private vehicle traffic to the South Kaibab trailhead area and Hermit’s Rest will be allowed for three months beginning Dec. 1.

The park’s Mallory Smith said the next community meeting will be Jan. 9. There is no meeting scheduled for December.


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