CUMBERLAND ISLAND HAS A SUCCESSFUL 2012
St Marys, Georgia-- 2012 was another strong visitation year at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Overall, park visits remained strong at 61,776 people. Total park visitation includes visitors to the Seashore’s St. Marys, mainland facilities, the visitor center and museum, as well as visits to the Island.
Cumberland Island visitation to the island increased to 39,677 in 2012. This amounted to an increase of 7% in visitation to the Island over 2011. That number has remained relatively consistent over the years due to the remoteness of the park and the 300 person daily cap on visitation and its Wilderness designation. Several contributing factors limit the number of daily visitors including the size and number of ferry trips, and the 1984 General Management Plan.
The seashore staff provided outstanding visitor services during 2012. Nearly every visitor to Cumberland Island via the park ferry receives an Island orientation given by park staff. Also, throughout the year, 672 formal interpretive programs were given to 10,602 visitors. This included the twice daily Footsteps through History talks offered to visitors at the Dungeness Dock, the Dockside Program, and the new Lands and Legacies van tour. In addition, 2,698 visitors toured the 22,000 square foot 1898 Plum Orchard mansion. This is especially noteworthy in that the house can be challenging to reach, accessible by foot, bike or the Lands and Legacies tour.
The Lands and Legacies tour continues to be popular with visitors. In 2012, over 4,600 visitors have enjoyed the new van tour which explores both cultural and natural locations on the north end of Cumberland Island including Plum Orchard and the Settlement.
Recreation activities are always an important part of any visit to Cumberland Island. Last year, almost 16,700 visitors chose to include camping in their visit to Cumberland Island. This includes both the improved campground at Sea Camp and the more primitive Wilderness campgrounds scattered throughout the rest of the island. Almost doubled from last year is the number of hunters participating in the six managed hunts on the island. This year, 350 people participated in the hog and deer managed hunts.
While paid park staff provided many visitor services, the park relies heavily on volunteer support. In 2012, 475 volunteers contributed 17,900 hours to the park. Volunteers actively engage in every aspect of park stewardship from staffing the mainland museum, to offering tours at Plum Orchard, to clearing trails, to participating in our annual bird counts. “We rely on volunteers to support all aspects of our operations. We could not monitor our resources, protect the Seashore and serve our visitors without their help,” said Superintendent Fred Boyles. “Even if a volunteer donates just a few hours of their time, we appreciate the time and the immense contribution of the individuals who chose to demonstrate stewardship by action.”
Strong visitation has other positive effects, as well. When visitors purchase books about Cumberland Island’s cultural and natural history from the Park’s bookstore, they are also making
a donation to the park’s budget as a portion of those sales remain in the park. Retail sales at the park’s visitor center bookstore rose 8% in 2012 over the previous year. Gross sales exceeded $86,000 in 2012.
A great indicator of success is the park’s annual visitor survey. Each year park visitors are polled about Cumberland Island’s visitor services and their overall experience. This year the national seashore received a 99% visitor satisfaction score. “This high score reflects on the superb job that our employees do in serving the public,” Boyles added.
The Park will continue to track its future through planning in 2013. By working on a new Foundation Document and a new Fire Management Plan, Park managers hope to leave the park ready for future generations.
Cumberland Island National Seashore is the largest and southernmost barrier island in Georgia. The park is the home to approximately 36,000 acres of to pristine maritime forest, undeveloped beaches, freshwater lakes, wide brackish marshes and over 9,800 acres of Congressionally designated Wilderness. The Seashore was authorized by Congress in 1972 and is administered by the National Park Service. For more information call 912-882-4336 ext 254 or visit www.nps.gov/cuis.
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