Visitor use surveys to begin on Medicine Bow National Forest

Over the course of the next 12 months, the public will encounter contract employees working on the Medicine Bow National Forest in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along National Forest System roads. They will be out in all types of weather conditions, wearing bright orange vests and be near signs that say “Traffic Survey Ahead”.

The National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) survey is being conducted on the Medicine Bow National Forest in southeast Wyoming from October 2022 through September 2023. The information gathered is useful for forest planning, as well as local community tourism planning. It provides National Forest managers with an estimate of how many people recreate on the National Forest, what activities they engage in while there, and how satisfied people were with their visit. Economic impact to the local economy is also captured in the survey.

The survey gathers basic visitor information. Surveys are voluntary and all responses are confidential; names are not included. Interviews last about 10 minutes. Questions include: where you recreated on the Forest, how many people traveled with you, how long you were on the Forest, what other recreation sites you visited while on the Forest, and how satisfied you are with the facilities and services provided. About a third of the visitors will be asked to complete a confidential survey on recreation spending during their trip.

“Last year the survey occurred on the Routt National Forest, and we had good public participation,” said Kristi Murphy, Forest Recreation Program Manager on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland. “We are hoping for that same level of voluntary engagement in the Medicine Bow survey to help us make the Forest a better place to visit.

“We would appreciate if visitors would stop and answer a few questions. It’s important for interviewers to talk with both local and out-of-area visitors, so all types of people are represented in the study.”

Story by Medicine Bow National Forest

Information about the National Visitor Use Monitoring program can be found online.

Additional information about recreation on the Medicine Bow National Forest can be found on our website.