A geo-spatial interpretive planning model for Illinois state parks

State parks represent a close-to-home recreation opportunity for people across the United States. Although state parks represent less than 2% of the total outdoor recreation estate, they accommodate over 29% of all visitors at state and federal outdoor recreation locations. One of the more important uses of parks is for both environmental education and interpretive programs. These services should be made available, affordable, and reasonably accessible to all tax paying citizens.; The goal of this thesis is to analyze the distribution of interpretive programs within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources state park system using GIS computer software. This conceptual model provides the first spatial analysis of interpretation programming in Illinois. Cataloging and analyzing spatial and a-spatial attributes of each park reveals a ranking of state parks for expanding interpretive programming investment. This study develops a conceptual model useful for interpretive planning which is quantitative, reproducible and adaptable to similar studies in other states.