The Impact of External Development on the Economic and Aesthetic Values of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Abstract

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP), the only national park and wilderness in the United States, to represent a "mixed grass prairie ecosystem, has considerable external development near its boundaries. Park managers have wanted to know to what extent such development was affecting park values and the visitor's experience. They also wanted a better estimate of the park's contribution to the local and state economy so that changes in visitation might be viewed in economic terms. Additional information about visitor perceptions, preferences, and characteristics was also requested.