KANAB, Utah- Dr. Tim Casey with Colorado Mesa University returns to conduct recreation focus groups in conjunction with the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 20th Anniversary Science Forum. The focus groups will be held August 4th, 5th, and 6th in Tropic, Escalante, and Boulder, Utah. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) encourages the public to provide input that will be used to guide recreation management on BLM lands accessed via Highway 12 and the Burr Trail.
This research project seeks to engage local leaders, business owners, residents, and visitors that either participate in recreational activities in this region, or have a stake in the quality of the experience of those that do. During a focus group, a researcher asks a group of people about their perceptions, opinions, preferences, and attitudes towards, in this case, recreational use on public lands in this region. The study will be conducted in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members.
The purpose of the focus group study includes providing an open forum for dialogue with the public on recreation issues, and to obtain information for future planning efforts, while gathering data needed to better understand the public’s desires for recreation at the Monument. Each session will last about two hours. The dates, times, and locations are noted below. A third and final round of focus groups will be held in October 2016.
DATE
TIME
LOCATION
ADDRESS
THURSDAY
August 4
7 PM
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visitor Center Conference Room
755 West Main Street, Escalante, UT 84726
FRIDAY
August 5
11 AM
Tropic Heritage Center
20 North Main, Tropic, UT 84776
FRIDAY
August 5
2 PM
Escalante Community Center
89 North 100 West, Escalante, UT 84726
FRIDAY
August 5
7 PM
Escalante Community Center
89 North 100 West, Escalante, UT 84726
SATURDAY
August 6
10 AM
Boulder Community Center
351 North 100 East, Boulder, UT 84716
For more information about how to participate, please contact Allysia Angus, GSENM Landscape Architect at 435-826-5615 oraangus@blm.gov. Or if you have questions about the research, please contact Dr. Tim Casey at 970-248-1095 ortcasey@coloradomesa.edu.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
