Kansas State Parks: A Marketing and Valuation Study

Abstract

One overriding question ties this report together: What do Kansans want to do with their state park system? The reader can imagine many different answers to this question ranging from scrap the slate park system and let private developers try to do something with it, to let's turn Kansas into a state-sponsored Disneyland. These are extreme possibilities which raise important questions: (1) Do Kansans want a state park system? Do they think the parks are worth the tax money that goes to support them? Would they be willing to pay more to improve the parks? (2) What type of state park system do Kansans want? Do they want a more "natural" and primitive type of park, or do they want a more commercialized type of park? (3) Specifically, how would Kansans change the park system if they could do so?

This report systematically answers these questions. The first part of the report assess the credibility of the household survey. The second part estimates the value of the state park system to Kansans. The third part describes the state park system Kansans want and what they want changed bout the current state parks. The last part of the report has conclusions and recommendations for the Department of Wildlife and Parks. Following the report are ten appendices that provide more data and analysis.