Usage of the Olympic National Park. U.S. National Parks that contain
designated wilderness areas are required by law to develop and maintain a
wilderness stewardship plan. The Olympic National Park, containing some of the
most biologically diverse wilderness in the United States, had a survey
conducted in 2012 to collect information relevant to the development of such a
plan. National Park Service staff visited 30 wilderness trailheads in
moderate-to high-use areas over a 60-day period and asked visitors as they
completed their hike to complete a questionnaire. The 1019 completed
questionaires, giving a response rate of \(50.4 \%\), provided each subject's
opinions on the use and management of wilderness. In particular, there were
694 day users and 325 overnight users in the sample.
a. Why do you think the National Park staff only visited trailheads in
moderate-to high-use areas to obtain the sample?
b. Assuming that the 1019 subjects represent a random sample of users of the
wilderness areas in Olympic National Park, give a \(90 \%\) confidence interval
for the proportion of day users.
c. The response rate was \(49 \%\) for day users and \(52 \%\) for overnight
users. Does this lessen any concerns you might have regarding the effect of
nonresponse on the interval you obtained in part (b)? Explain briefly.
d. Do you think it would be better to refer to the interval in part (b) as a
confidence interval for the proportion of day users or the proportion of day
users on the most popular trails in the park? Explain briefly.