River Use Study _ Namekagon River NOI

Post Date

March 27th 2015

Application Due Date

April 3rd 2015

Funding Opportunity Number

P15AC00307

CFDA Number(s)

15.945

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Cooperative Agreement

Funding Activity Categories

Education
Environment
Natural Resources

Number of Awards

1

Eligibility Categories

Non-Profits With 501 (c) (3) Status With The IRS (Except Higher Education Institutions)

Funding

• Estimated Total Funding:

  $36000

• Award Range:

  $36000 - $36000

Grant Description

OVERVIEW The Namekagon River is part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (Riverway) which was established by Congress to protect and enhance its outstanding natural, scenic, and recreational values. The General Management Plan (GMP) for the Riverway established ЯManagement AreasН to identify how different portions of river would be managed to provide the desired visitor experiences. The majority of the Namekagon River was identified as a ЯNear-Primitive Northwoods Management AreaН where the opportunity for solitude is to be high. A baseline for river use on the Namekagon River was established in 1999 using the ЯRecreational Management Information SystemН (RMIS). Measurements were repeated in 2002. The RMIS is a court-tested model to determine visitor use trends. Anecdotal evidence suggests that visitor use has increased and types of uses have changed on some sections of the Namekagon River since the 1999 and 2002 counts. The NPS proposes to repeat the RMIS measurements in summer 2015. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN The purpose of repeating the river use study using RMIS is to take quantifiable measurements that can be compared to those taken in 1999 and 2002. The 2015 measurements will be compared to those taken in 1999 and 2002 to determine river use trends. The results will be used to determine if management action is necessary to provide the type of visitor experience intended by the NPS and documented in the GMP. Hypotheses to be tested are: a. River use as increased markedly along some sections of the Namekagon River. b. The use of tubes as vessels has become more widespread. c. There are more conflicts between river users. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT The recipient will counted and recorded the number of river users at river access points (landings). Counts will be done at landings over a period of several hours between Memorial Day and mid-August and include the number of vessels that put-in, take-out, and float by. The type of vessel will be recorded as canoe, kayak, tube, johnboat, or drift boat and whether private or commercial. If commercial, the business name will be recorded. Visitorsм perceptions of conditions will be measured by short (one page) interviews as they exit the area. Interview questions include 1) activities and length of visit, 2) why they chose the Namekagon River, 3) changes since their last visit, and 4) reactions to the number of other visitors they encountered. The cooperator shall: a) provide a principal investigator to develop the field study design and provide program supervision; b) hire, train, and pay 2 student interns to interview, collect, and input data from May 15 through August 15, 2015; c) provide for transportation to and from landings for the interns d) provide computer(s) for use by the interns e) set-up the computer database; and f) provide a report presenting the results and comparing them to the 2002 and 1999 results. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT The NPS shall provide: a) housing for two research interns in the Trego, Wisconsin area; b) a workspace, with internet access, for the interns; c) an opportunity for the interns to participate in NPS seasonal training; and d) a point of contact for the interns at the Namekagon District Office in Trego, Wisconsin

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of the Interior

• Office:

  National Park Service

• Agency Contact:

  Katie Schroeder
  Grants Management Officer
  Phone 402-661-1640

• Agency Mailing Address:

  work email

• Agency Email Address:

  catherine_schroeder@nps.gov

• More Information:

  Grants.gov