Communicating with the Public: An Examination of National Park Planning Workbooks

Abstract

Written materials are an important form of environmental communication. The way information is presented, however, may affect how it is received and whether people will use it. Simply providing information does not ensure that it is useable. Readers must be able to orient themselves to the information and find those pieces of information that interest them. This is particularly true in a citizen participation context. The purpose of this study was to examine ways of structuring a presentation so that it helps the reader utilize the information presented. In particular, the results of an evaluation of National Park Service planning workbooks will be discussed.