The Michigan State University Center for Economic and Spatial Analysis for Planning and Management in the Land Policy Institute recently received funding in the amount of $104K from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study a web-based GIS system in support of USACE’s Visitation Estimation and Reporting System and the Natural Resources Risk Assessment Tool.
The MSU team, led by professor emeritus Edward Mahoney, has been collaborating with USACE to research in GIS mapping and spatial analysis, decision models, survey design and analysis, and economic impact assessment since 2010.
The purpose of this grant is to provide the USACE with research and technical capabilities to assist in addressing current and emerging priorities for the Natural Resources Program.
Yue Cui, LPI assistant professor, now leads the project and guides the MSU team, which includes Theresa Herbowicz, LPI research analyst, along with graduate and undergraduate students.
“This research will provide a solid approach for ongoing collection, update and analysis of recreation-related data, including facilities and resources, visitor counts, usages, motives and behaviors, conflicts, etc., in a scientific and systematic fashion,” said Cui.
The tools developed by this project will also allow the U.S. Army Corps to examine both the current and expected relationships between the supply of and visitors' demand for recreation areas.
For more information about this project, please contact Yue Cui at cuiyue@msu.edu.