2007 Supporting_Statement_Part_A_Final

National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) 2007

May 2007

Supporting Statement for OMB 0596-0127

National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) 2007

May 2007

TERMS OF CLEARANCE:

08/19/2004: “The Forest Service should improve the quality of its ICR submissions. Any changes to this collection including additional sponsoring agencies, additional modules, or changes in the calling procedures must be submitted as a revision.”

01/19/2006: “Terms of the previous clearance remain in effect. The agency shall complete its assessment report and determine whether the pre-notification letter and follow-up letters for refusals are effective in improving response rates. Such report would be submitted prior to any requests for changes in survey design or contents. Any changes including additional sponsoring agencies, additional modules, or changes in the calling procedures must be submitted as a revision to this ICR.”

Response to Terms of Clearance:

As part of the execution of Versions 1 and 2 of the NSRE, the Forest Service conducted an experiment in the use of pre-notification letters. Detailed results of this experiment were in a report entitled, Survey Response Rate and Bias Results from a Trial of Pre-notification Letters: A Report to the Office of Management and Budget on the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE), December 2006 (excerpt follows).

As reported, pre-notification introduced participation-rate-estimation-bias additional to that typically anticipated with the use of Standard RDD sampling methods. Because pre-notification letters go only to people with listed telephone numbers that match a mailing address, and because listed people with addresses are different from those with unlisted numbers, the resulting increase in proportion of people with addresses makes the NSRE sample less representative of the population and the estimates of activity participation rates more biased.

Matching telephone numbers to addresses, producing labels and envelopes, printing and stuffing letters, purchasing postage, handling mail, responding to wrong addresses, and the other necessary activities associated with sending pre-notification letters increased the cost per completed interview by 9.8 percent. The average cost reduction per completed interview and resulting higher response rates associated with pre-notification (not considering mailing costs) was insignificant since the average completed interview required 3.5 calls for those who received pre-notification letters, while those who did not receive the letter required only 4.0 calls. Thus, using the criteria set at the beginning of this experiment, the increase in average costs per interview from the use of pre-notification letters exceeds the 5 percent threshold, while also introducing significant bias to the estimation of activity participation rates.

The report entitled “Survey Response Rate and Bias Results from a Trial of Pre-notification Letters: A Report to the Office of Management and Budget on the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE)” was transmitted to the Office of Management and Budget on December 20, 2006. The overall conclusions of this report were that:

“IV. Overall Conclusions

• Pre-notification letters and Refusal Letters increase response rates, but they yield samples that are more unrepresentative than Standard RDD. This results in significant bias in activity participation rates. Thus, at any cost, pre-notification and refusal letters do not pass a benefit-cost test if the objective is to reduce non-response bias.

• There are differences between those who do and do not respond to the full survey.

These differences result in non-response bias. Current sample weighting does not account for all of the bias. An additional sample weight will have to be constructed to account for the fact that refusals have a higher rate of non-participation in outdoor recreation than those that respond to the full survey.”

For these reasons, the use pre-notification letters is not included in this Information Collection Request (ICR), and will not be included in future versions of the NSRE.

A. Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the col­lection of information necessary. Iden­tify any legal or administrative require­ments that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the col­lection of information.

Legislation and Regulations:

• American with Disabilities Act (28 CFR 36), Public Law 101-336; 42 U.S.C. 12101

• Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, 42 USC § 4151 et seq.

• Clean Water Act of 1977 (Federal Water Pollution Control Act); USC 33 § 1251

• Coast and Geodetic Survey Act of 1947; 33 USC 883

• Coastal Zone Management Act (Sec. 1456c – Technical Assistance, § 310); 16 USC 1451-1464, Chapter 3; 86 Stat 120

• Comprehensive Environmental Resource, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 USC 9601 (CERCLA, the Superfund Act)

• Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review

• Executive Order 12893, Principles for Federal Infrastructure Investments

• Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 – Public Law 93-378-88, 16 USC §16)

• Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1978 – Public Law 95-307, 16 USC §1641 et seq.

• Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) – Public Law 103-62

• Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 – Public Law 92-532, § 201-202; 33 USC § 1441 & 1442

• Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act of 1960; Public Law 86-517; 16 USC § 528 et seq.; 74 Stat. 215

• National Forest Management Act of 1976; USC 16 § 1600

• Oil Pollution Control Act of 1990 – Section 7001; 33 USC 1330

• Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953; 43 USC § 1331-1356, 43 USC § 1801

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Public Law 106-580

• Wilderness Act of 1964; Public Law 88-577; 16 USC § 1131-1136; 78 Stat. 890

Participating Federal Agencies:

• U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Forest Service (FS)

• Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

• U. S. Department of Commerce (DOC) – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The Federal agencies above are responsible for oversight of public lands, waterways or marine sanctuaries. Each manages for or otherwise influences recreation opportunities. Program management officials need current data on recreation demands, opinions, preferences and attitudes.

The collection and analysis of public demand data is vital to defining effective policies and to implementation of programs affecting the management and use of water, forest, and wildlife resources. Such knowledge is essential to the development and management of public recreational opportunities, as well as information system design and private land incentive programs.

The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) 2007 will be the latest in a series of surveys begun in 1960 as the National Recreation Survey (NRS). This survey is a primary, consistent source of recreation participation data concerning the U.S. population.

The Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission (ORRRC), established by Congress, conducted the first NRS. Four surveys conducted between 1965 and 1982 per ORRC recommendations. After financial constraints eliminated the next NRS, ten years elapsed until the next survey (the 1994-1995 NSRE). This survey series has provided Federal and State agencies, educational institutions, and the private sector, State agencies with outdoor recreation trend and demand data on local, regional and national scales.

The proposed survey instrument (included separately) consists of the script used in the computer-assisted telephone interviews.

Specific Regulatory Authorizations and Requirements

• Forest Service (USDA), Bureau of Land Management (USDOI), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC); U.S. Coast Guard, and Environmental Protection Agency

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA): The Act requires Federal agencies to submit a strategic plan to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget that addresses the following items:

• Mission Statement

• Goals and Objectives

• Description of how goals and objectives will be achieved

• Description of the relationship between performance goals in the annual performance plan and the goals and objectives in the strategic plan

• Identification of key factors, external to the agency and beyond its control, that could significantly affect achievement of goals and objectives

• Description of program evaluations used in the strategic plan and a schedule for future program evaluations

USDA Forest Service

Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (RPA): The Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to periodically assess the status of the nation’s forest and rangelands and to recommend a Forest Service program for sustained management and use.

The National Forest Management Act of 1976 amended the RPA. The Act mandates the effective management, use, and protection of the nation’s renewable resources. This Act also mandates public involvement in the forest planning process.

Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978: This Act complements the policies and direction set forth in the RPA. It authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to implement a comprehensive program of forest and rangeland renewable resources research and dissemination of its findings. It has an important provision applicable to the 2007 NSRE, i.e., the authorization to conduct research cooperatively with other Federal, State, and other governmental agencies, private organizations, institutions, and universities, and with businesses and individuals in the United States and other countries.

The Organic Act of 1897: The Forest Service has a long tradition of land management, scientific research, and technical assistance dating back to the origins of the agency and the Organic Act.

The Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act of 1960: The USDA-Forest Service manages lands in accordance with the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act. This Act ensures that recreation be considered as one of the balanced uses of the National Forests.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act: The ADA mandates that public facilities and programs be accessible to all Americans, including those with disabilities and those needing special assistance. The Forest Service is also obligated to provide accessible facilities and trails under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968.

The Wilderness Act: The Wilderness Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). The NWPS provides the mechanism by which Congress designates Federal roadless lands for management as Wilderness Areas. Wilderness designations provide a variety of benefits to society, for example, scientific, biological, recreational, scenic, educational, and cultural.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972: Sections 201 and 202 authorize the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to mange sanctuaries and estuarine reserves.

NOAA is a Federal trustee and conducts natural resource damage assessments under the following authorizations:

• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980

• Section 7001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as amended (also known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act)

• The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

The Coast and Geodetic Survey Act of 1947: This Act authorizes NOAA Office of Coast Survey (OCS) to provide nautical charts to aid both commercial and recreational boaters.

The Coastal Zone Management Act and Amendments is the basis for the NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) service called “Tides On-line”.

Environmental Protection Agency

• The Clean Water Act (CWA)

• Executive Orders 12866 and 12893

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what pur­pose the information is to be used. Except for a new collec­tion, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the infor­ma­tion received from the current collec­tion.

1. What information will be collected - reported or recorded? (If there are pieces of information that are especially burdensome in the collection, a specific explanation should be provided.)

Questions asked cover the following subjects:

• Participation in recreation activities in the past 12 months

• Annual days of participation in a subset of the full list of recreation activities

• Coastal states that are destinations for saltwater recreation activities

• Demographics

• Demographics for people refusing to answer questions as check for non-response bias

• Knowledge of Forest Service management and policies

• Knowledge and preferences for wilderness and wildland areas

• Constraints to participation in recreational activities

• Private land ownership and access for various segments of the population for outdoor recreation

• Public attitudes toward fees on Federal and other public lands and how fee revenues should be used

• Marine Boating

• Objectives and Beliefs regarding management of public lands by the Forest Service

• Fresh water recreation – last trip

Description of NSRE 2007 Modules

Module 1: Participation in recreation activities in the past 12 months

Participation data used to establish a baseline of the percentage of the population engaging in a variety of recreation activities. Questions are compatible with previous National Recreation Surveys and used for participation trend analysis by activity.

• Subset: Annual days of participation in a subset of the full list of recreation activities

Annual days of participation in a variety of recreation activities is an indicator of the intensity of participation across the United States by those who participate. This asked of selected activities, not asked of every activity in which respondent reports participating. “Days of participation” is the most used in planning and research measure to define the size and distribution of outdoor recreation markets, and to model participation sensitivity to social and economic trends. For the marine recreation activities, participants asked about days by state where the activity took place.

• Subset: Coastal states that are destinations for saltwater recreation activities

Items asking for detailed information on marine (saltwater) recreation will allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate recreation use of coastal areas. These questions are important to NOAA and other agencies responsible for managing or regulating uses of marine resources, and are important to stakeholders who use or have economic interests in marine resources. Participation in marine recreation activities asked for up to five States, in order to locate geographically where the recreation participation occurred.

Module 2: Demographics for respondents

Demographic information is necessary to describe user and non-user populations and is included in all versions of the survey. These items are the same standard questions asked in previous National Recreation Surveys. Demographics always are the last section of questions asked. The structure of the demographics questions matches that required by the OMB.

Module 3: Knowledge of Forest Service management and policies

This module consists of five “true” or “false” questions about people’s knowledge of the U.S. Forest Service’s management and policies. It will be in Version 8 of the NSRE 2007 survey. Its purpose is gain understanding of a respondent’s knowledge of the Agency as background for assessing the relevance of a person’s response to recreation destination, satisfactions, preference, and policy-oriented questions.

Module 4: Knowledge and preferences for wilderness and wildland areas

This module consists of 20 questions addressing people’s knowledge and preferences for wilderness and wildland areas. The responses to this section will help determine whether the public knows about the National Wilderness Preservation System and the extent of public understanding and awareness of wilderness issues. This information will assist in validating responses to questions concerning management and policies, help determine the level of recreation, and highlight who recreates on lands in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Module 5: Constraints to participation in recreational activities

This module obtains information on why the respondent is not participating as often as they would like to in their favorite activities. This is useful for identifying potential problems that managers could address, such as poorly maintained activity areas, security issues, and access. This module will be in Version 7 of NSRE 2007.

Module 6: Private land ownership and access for various segments of the population for outdoor recreation

This was in the NSRE 2000 and that will be in Versions 6 and 8 of the NSRE 2007 survey. It consists of 26 questions about private land ownership and access for various segments of the population for outdoor recreation. This section is designed to provide update information for the National Private Land Ownership Survey, which has been conducted periodically (about every 10 years) by the Forest Service and cooperators.

Module 7: Public attitudes toward fees on Federal and other public lands, and how fee revenues should be used

This module consists of five questions addressing user fees for using public lands and areas. This module will be in Versions 7 and 9 of the NSRE 2007 survey. The primary purpose of these questions is to stay in touch with public attitudes regarding fees on Federal and other public lands, and use of fee revenues.

Module 8: Marine Boating

This module consists of two modules that overlapped. The full module will be in survey versions 4-7 and the shortened version will be in versions 8-10.

• Full Version

This version sponsored by the USCG and NOAA. The USCG would like to address all U.S. boaters that operated a boat in the U.S. Operation of the boat is a key screening question and based on past studies done by BOAT US, a consultant on this project. This screening question is important for assessing the number of boat operators that have taken a boating safety course or know of/use nautical charts and/or “Tides On-line.” Based on past studies, we expect that about 25 percent of all respondents will operate a boat. This was a key parameter for planning required sample sizes for this module.

Several questions cover avidity of general boating; years of boating experience; and type of boat operated. Three questions, those assessing various nautical chart products and “Tides On-line”, are important screeners for NOAA. NOAA products are generally produced for coastal and ocean waters (saltwater definition used marine recreation portion of participation section of survey) and in the Great Lakes.

Some questions target boat operators in salt water or the Great Lakes. The belief is that product use will relate to length of average boating trips. One question, asked of all boaters that operate a boat (U.S. Coast Guard specific question), obtains information on other recreational activities boaters engage in while boating. Many of the questions specifically target those owning and operating their own boat in salt water or the Great Lakes. These questions address type of water access; use of assistance due to accident or mechanical problem; navigation equipment, and navigation products.

The USCG and NOAA needs to know how many respondents have taken a boating safety course. This query is posed to all those questioned via the full version of this module. Five more questions, asked of those who have boated in saltwater or the Great Lakes, include:

• How respondents get information on the weather when boating or planning a boating trip

• Assessment of the use of nautical charts or other information on currents and tides in planning boat trips

• How far in advance respondents plan boating trips.

Responses to these questions assist USCG and NOAA in assessing the speed products need to become available to the public.

• Short Version

This version is included in survey versions 8-10. It includes 17 questions from the long version of the Boating Module. The questions address avidity of boating (days of annual boating); years experience boating; type of boat operated; which boat is operated most often; list of activities respondents engage in while boating; and boating safety course use.

Module 9: Objectives and beliefs regarding management of public lands, particularly the Forest Service

The question sets, used in the NSRE 2000 and in NSRE 2007, provide public input regarding the development of a Forest Service long-term strategic plan pursuant to the GRPA. Respondents are asked a randomized subset of five questions from each of the question sets. This module will be included in two survey versions (versions 5 and 7; 10,000 completed interviews).

• Objectives: Managing Public Lands - Consists of 30 questions addressing what people consider should be the main objectives for managing public and private forests and grasslands. The questions use a 1 to 5 point “Likert Scale” with 1 = Not at all Important and 5 = Very Important.

• Beliefs: Forest Service Management - Consists of 30 questions addressing beliefs or opinions on how the FS should manage national forests and grasslands. The questions use a 1 to 5 point “Likert Scale” with 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree.

Module 10: Fresh water Recreation--Last Trip

These questions will provide a profile of an individual’s most recent trips for freshwater recreation, which (for modeling purposes) is representative of the typical trip. Questions in this module establish the seasonality of trips for various activities, as well as various other characteristics of the trip. The length of the trip, the number of sites, costs associated with the trip, main activity during the trip, and respondent’s impression of the quality of the site are used to develop models to predict recreation choice behavior based on site characteristics. These models will provide capabilities to estimate recreation trip demand locally, regionally, and nationally, both at current time and in future years. USDA, Economic Research Service and the EPA designed this module, approved and used previously in the NSRE 2000.

Refusal questions: Demographics for people refusing to answer questions as check for non-response bias

Interviewers ask everyone who refuses the survey refusal questions. This is an essential aid in checking for non-response bias. Refusal questions are an essential part of the survey and asked only of persons refusing to participate in the survey. The refusal questions cover age and participation in walking - a key, widely participated in activity. The interviewer records the gender of the respondent if obvious; the interviewer does not ask specific questions regarding gender. These questions are included in the survey questionnaires document included as part of this request.

2. From whom will the information be collected? If there are different respondent categories (e.g., loan applicant versus a bank versus an appraiser), each should be described along with the type of collection activity that applies.

The information will be collected (via telephone survey) from a simple random sample of non-institutionalized residents of the United States, 16 years of age and older. The Human Dimensions Research Laboratory at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, an on-going NSRE cooperator, conducts the survey using samples of telephone numbers purchased from a private survey research-sampling firm.

3. What will this information be used for - provide ALL uses?

The NSRE is a major interagency effort. Depending on timing, the survey may meet the data needs of several sponsoring agencies. At other times, it may meet the needs of a single agency.

The Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) and the Bureau of Land Management (Department of the Interior) have similar information needs, including include agency-wide strategic planning and program assessments. Other agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Department of Commerce), the United States Coast Guard, and the Environmental Protection Agency may each have unique information needs, including broad-scale policy analysis and regional assessments.

Agency Specific Information Needs

USDA Forest Service

• RPA¹, Montreal Process, and GPRA² long-term planning:

• The RPA assessment includes both demand and supply analyses for all forest and range resources. The NSRE data is the basis for the recreation and wilderness demand analyses. The 2010 RPA Assessment Update is under development.

• The RPA Assessments (and subsequently the NSRE) provide data needed for the Forest Service Long-Term Strategic Plan. The 2007-10 collection of data is necessary to meet a variety of broad-scale assessment needs.

• The RPA assessment provides information for the GPRA strategic plan.

• Simultaneously with the 2010 RPA Update, the next round of data analysis for the Montreal Process for Sustainable Forest Management will begin. The RPA assessments are the basis for this international forest assessment and reporting process.

• The National Forest Management Act of 1976 mandated public involvement in the forest planning process. This involvement typically takes the form of public meetings. Public meetings exclude individuals who cannot easily attend or are not aware of opportunities to be involved. Public meetings gather input from members of the public with specific interests in land management, but do not collect input from broad cross sections of the public. The NSRE provides the FS with a cross section of American attitudes regarding natural resource management, enabling the Agency to meet the mandate to consider public opinions and values during the forest planning and management process.

• Recreation is one of four key areas of the amended Natural Resource Agenda for the Forest Service.³ NSRE 2007 will provide critical and credible information in support of the Agency’s long-range policy and management direction for outdoor recreation and related programs. It is the only source of data on recreation behavior, attitudes, and preferences at the national population level. NSRE 2007 will be the only general population survey that considers all users, potential users, and non-users and is not limited to on-site forest visitors.

• Data and information flowing from the NSRE provides policy makers and managers with data on which to base decisions regarding the appropriate and best mix of uses of national forests.

• Wildlife habitat maintenance and enhancement is another of the multiple uses provided for in the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act. The survey data regarding public use of forests and other wildlife information aids in the development of wildlife management policies and programs, such as “Eyes on Wildlife.”

• The NSRE provides an opportunity to gather data on the current disabled population, recreation access, and information needs. Concerns exist that many disabled individuals are not using national forests to recreate because of existing barriers. The NSRE is an efficient tool for gathering comprehensive information on this topic.

• Data collected by the NSRE will provide information to policy makers and managers as they grapple with the unique problems and challenges of Wilderness management, including forecasting and management of on-site recreation demands. The NSRE provides critical feedback regarding public opinion on management practices applied in Wilderness.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• The United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) is under a Presidential Executive Order to establish GREEN Gross National Product (GNP) accounts. GREEN GNP accounts attempt to document the economic value generated by uses of natural resources and the environment that are not captured in the current economic statistics in the GNP accounts. The BEA has stated it cannot address marine resources in the GREEN GNP accounts because of lack of information. NOAA involvement with the NSRE ensures that these demands are addressed.

• Saltwater fishing is the only activity for which national survey data are available regarding outdoor recreation in coastal and ocean areas. Collection of data occurs annually by NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, and every five years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No other information is available for assessing the nation’s demand for outdoor recreation uses of coastal and ocean resources. The NSRE 2000 was the first time that recreation surveys had addressed outdoor recreational uses of coastal and ocean resources. If outdoor recreation data pertaining to uses is not collected, it will be impossible to account completely for the values and benefits of U.S. coastal and ocean resources.

• Under its Special Projects Division, NOAA creates and maintains the only comprehensive assessment of the nation’s coastal and ocean environment. The ability to assess coastal resources in the U.S. allows complete and comprehensive assessment of coastal demand and supply, as recreation and tourism represent a ‘major use’ in the nation’s coastal zone.

• NOAA has responsibility for promoting safe navigation of coastal and ocean waters. NOAA Office of Coast Survey (OCS) provides nautical charts to aid both commercial and recreational boaters. NOAA Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) provides a service called Tides On-line. Evaluation of both nautical charts and Tides On-line products in the Boating Module of the NSRE provides estimates of product use and customer satisfaction.

United States Coast Guard

The mission of the USCG National Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program, administered by the Office of Boating Safety, is to minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and environmental impact associated with the use of recreational boats. The current measure of program effectiveness is a fatality rate, expressed as the ratio of reported fatalities per 100,000 recreational boats. Due to the limited ability of this measure for inter-modal comparison and because it can be affected by a combination of practically immeasurable factors, there is a need to develop a risk-based measure of program effectiveness. The NSRE will provide:

• Participant data needed for inter-modal comparative risk-based measure

• Valuable information in regard to the changing demographics of boaters, boats and boat operation

This information is essential for national RBS program direction and guidance. In addition, the information provided by the NSRE will assist the Office of Boating Safety to better define and measure the effectiveness of State RBS program activities in reducing the number of boating fatalities (in accordance with Coast Guard performance goals).

The most appropriate and meaningful measure of boating safety would take into account the amount of time boaters are using their boats on the water. NSRE 2007 captures boating participant data including numbers of occasions and amounts of time operating recreational boats. These participation and time data are essential in calculating an RBS performance indicator that enables boating safety officials to assess boating risk, implement appropriate safety intervention strategies, and measure program effectiveness in reducing the number of fatalities, injuries, and property damage associated with the use of recreational boats. The information to be collected is essential for Coast Guard use as well as the States’ use in monitoring, reporting and refining effectiveness measures. In addition, national safety organizations, the marine industry, recreational boating safety educators, law enforcement officers, and legislators will use the data collected.

This information collection is critical to the following strategic goals:

• Safety: Reduce the number of deaths, reduce the number and severity of injuries, and reduce the amount of property damage associated with the use of recreational boats.

• Improve customer service

In compliance with GPRA, the collection of information is necessary to:

• Link the effectiveness of Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program activities (Awareness, Education, Standards and Regulation) to reductions in a person's risk of experiencing a boating accident resulting in fatalities, injuries or property damage;

• Enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to identify and satisfy vital customer needs;

• Improve program effectiveness by implementing well-defined program goals; and

• Enhance Administration and Congressional policymaking, spending decisions, and program oversight using the best performance measures and safety indicators.

Environmental Protection Agency

The NSRE provides the data necessary for estimating the benefit of water quality improvements to U.S. waters and for analyzing economic impact of the recreation and tourism industry. The EPA uses data from the NSRE to comply with regulations and statutory requirements to justify public expenditures.

4. How will the information be collected (e.g., forms, non-forms, electronically, face-to-face, over the phone, over the Internet)? Does the respondent have multiple options for providing the information? If so, what are they?

The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE) is an RDD telephone survey. Collection of NSRE 2007 survey data will be via a national-level, general population telephone survey of the U.S. population, age 16 and older, using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technology. The state-of-the-art CATI system uses a series of “skips” and so questions are always applicable to the respondent’s situation, allowing more content to be included in an interview lasting approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Calls typically occur during evening hours (6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the respective time zones) and on weekends. Respondents have the option of responding to a return mail survey.

There are 10 different survey modules. These modules divided across 10 separate versions of the survey, each requiring on average 12 to 15 minutes of contact time. The plan is to complete 5,000 interviews for each survey version or 50,000 completed interviews within 6 years. Collection of responses to survey versions 1-3 occurred under the current OMB approval, which expires on August 31, 2007.

All of the 10 versions of the survey contain the recreation participation and demographic profile modules. These modules are the core of the survey and have been included in each of the National Recreation Surveys dating back to the first one in 1960.

Table 1 shows the 10 modules and applicable survey versions.

Table 1 - NSRE 2007 Framework of Survey Versions and Modules

Module	Version 1 (completed)	Version 2 (completed)	Version 3 (completed)	Version 4	Version 5	Version 6	Version 7	Version 8	Version 9	Version 10
1. Participation and Days (Core)	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
2. Demographics (Core)	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
3. Knowledge: Forest Service Management								X
4. Wilderness and Wildlands			X			X			X
5. Constraints							X			X
6. Rural Landownership and Use			X			X		X
7. User Fees							X		X
8. Marine Boating				X	X	X	X	X	X	X
9. Objectives & Beliefs				X	X
10. Freshwater Recreation Last Trip						X

5. How frequently will the information be collected?

Each individual telephone survey respondent completes one (and only one) telephone interview per survey version. The probability of any U. S. household receiving a request to complete more than one interview because their phone number occurs in a subsequent version is negligibly low, and approaches zero.

6. Will the information be shared with any other organizations inside or outside USDA or the government?

A number of Federal and nonfederal partners and interests will receive and use NSRE 2007 results through cooperative agreements and other less formal arrangements. For example, over 20 state government departments of natural resources use NSRE data as the primary source of demand and trend information for their Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORPs).

Other public and private sector interests (non-governmental organizations, conservation and other constituent groups, concerned individuals, industry, etc.) receive NSRE results, information, and reports. NSRE is widely cited as a source for media coverage of Americans’ outdoor lifestyles.

7. If this is an ongoing collection, how have the collection requirements changed over time?

There has been very little change in the NSRE beyond modifications in the survey versions that include different non-core modules or sections of the survey. Survey designers have shortened the average time for completion of an interview to accommodate changing lifestyles and competition with tele-marketers. Currently, the completion time for all survey versions is 12 to 15 minutes

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of auto­mat­ed, elec­tronic, mechani­cal, or other techno­log­ical collection techniques or other forms of information technol­o­gy, e.g. permit­ting elec­tronic sub­mission of respons­es, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any con­sideration of using in­fo­r­m­a­t­ion technolo­gy to re­duce bur­den.

In order to keep the burden on the responding public as low as possible, this survey has been designed to collect the data over the telephone using computer assisted data entry technology. CATI systems help minimize the amount of time a respondent will spend on the telephone. Computer-programmed skip patterns prevent asking questions not relevant to particular respondents. Currently, other than land mail, respondents are not offered other media by which to respond.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplica­tion. Show specifically why any sim­ilar in­for­mation already avail­able cannot be used or modified for use for the purpos­es de­scri­bed in Item 2 above.

The NSRE survey group is aware of other local, regional, and national survey efforts. The only other survey offering comparable long-term trend comparisons is the Hunting, Fishing and Associated Wildlife Recreation Survey conducted for the Fish and Wildlife Service. This survey focuses on wildlife recreation and does not address the much broader listing of nature-based and other outdoor recreation activities needed across agencies and other interests.

A complementary survey, conducted by the U. S. Forest Service, targets visitors to National Forests and other government managed recreation areas. The Forest Service Research Station in Athens, Georgia developed the original National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) survey and transferred to the Washington Office of the Forest Service in 2004. The current NVUM program coordinator is Donald English (denglish@fs.fed.us). The recreation activities in the NSRE and in the NVUM are coordinated to permit cross checking and computation of National Forest market shares.

A few states conduct similar surveys, but these are applicable only to residents of the sponsoring state. Industry surveys exist, but these address a limited scope of activities representing the equipment manufactured or services provided for the activities the industries feature. Some private commercial survey firms provide data collection services, but these are not consistent with the variables needed by the interagency group sponsoring NSRE and costs are typically prohibitive, 8 to 10 times the current costs of NSRE data collection. In brief, duplication of effort is not occurring.

In addition, the NSRE includes a number of specific data interests not elsewhere available:

Interagency Boating Interests: Representatives from NOAA, the U.S. Coast Guard and BOAT US representatives determined gaps in information regarding the recreational boating community. The group reviewed previous studies by U.S. Coast Guard, BOAT US, and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and determined that no other sources existed that met the needs of agencies concerned with recreational boaters and the commercial boating industry. NOAA agreed to work with the U.S. Coast Guard and BOAT US to address the needs of this recreational boating community through development of a Boating Module for the NSRE.

Bureau of Land Management: Similarly, a group of BLM land and program managers met and identified information needed to support BLM management and policy issue decisions. The group assisted in developing questions regarding user fees and public land values. These data will fill a gap for the BLM by providing previously non-existent overarching national-level data on the public's knowledge and awareness of fees, recreation options, and values associated with BLM lands.

U. S. Forest Service: The Forest Service is charged with developing an agency-wide strategic plan every 5 years. Development of this plan requires considerable public input. The current survey questions focusing on beliefs and objectives (also used previously) will provide the Forest Service with tailored broad-scale public input essential to formulating strategies and action plans for mandated long-term strategic plans. Reusing the questions provides highly valuable trend information, which currently does not exist.

The Forest Service is responsible for land management planning, national forest and rangeland assessments every 10 years, with interim 5-year updates. The recreation, user fee, knowledge and wilderness questions included in the survey are necessary for national forest (NF) planning, and for modeling and futures forecasting for the Renewable Resources Planning Act Assessments.

Environmental Protection Agency: The EPA Freshwater Recreation Last Trip Module approved and used in the NSRE 2000 will provide estimates of the recreation value of water resources. This is again the aim for repeating the questions in the NSRE 2007.

5. If the collection of information im­pacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to mini­mize burden.

There are no impacts to small businesses or other small entities by this survey.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is con­ducted less fre­quent­ly, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Without this survey, there would be severe limitations to agencies’ abilities to perform assessments, required planning, and policy analysis across a large number of dimensions. Essential products from the data are the recreation and public land use trends and demand projections used by Federal agencies.

States use these products to meet a number of Federal program requirements for eligibility for grants and other forms of funding. For example, the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan required for states receiving funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. States, as well as community park and recreation administrations, use NSRE results to support system and project planning.

The NSRE has been and continues to be the national authoritative source for current and recent trend data on Americans’ outdoor recreation demand and preferences. Adverse impacts to public and private sectors would be significant without this proposed next administration of the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment. These would include ineligibility for some grant programs, escalated costs of planning and operations, inability to anticipate demand changes as the country’s demographics and lifestyles change, and poor targeting of funding and program development to meet modern society’s needs.

Specific Consequences by Module:

Participation, Days and Demographics Module: Recreation participation and the associated demographics of participants and non-participants (the core of the NSRE) used nationwide by numerous public and private organizations. As such, the NSRE core is the Nation’s authoritative and consistent source of recreation demand and trend data. No other source exists and thus Federal, state and industry planning and investment would be without this key source of data for making informed decisions. From these data are produced the only set of future forecasts of recreation demand trends and its spatial distribution in the nation. If the NSRE did not exist, none of this would happen.

Knowledge of FS Management, Policies and Wilderness Module: The Forest Service is involved in two complementary surveying efforts. The National Visitor Use Monitoring survey (NVUM) gathers data from visitors to national forests and lands managed by other participating agencies. The NVUM provides the ability to estimate visitor use and to monitor user demographic and visitation patterns (on site). Thus, NVUM interviews visitors to national forest lands and lands managed by participating agencies; it does not collect information from the broader public. All citizens of the U. S. are co-owners and stakeholders of national forests and other federally managed lands, thus, all citizens need a voice in changes in management, priorities, and designation of Wilderness. Both NVUM and NSRE ask about wilderness use and thus can associate respondents with active use or passive values.

Constraints Module: Large numbers of citizens live in inner cities, are in social strata sometimes categorized as marginalized, are without transportation, have constraining health conditions, face social barriers to use of public spaces, and encounter other circumstances with regard to choosing outdoor recreation options. If equitable and suitable outdoor recreation opportunities are to be provided, the constraints various social groups face must be known and addressed. The constraint questions asked in the NSRE provide a national, population-wide picture of the variety of conditions that may hinder recreation participation. Having information provided only by people who use public recreation spaces is insufficient for fair and effective provision of outdoor recreation spaces and services. The constraints questions included in the NSRE collect information from the population at large that is not available from another source, providing data about the real or perceived constraints they face. As the population becomes more obese and less active, knowing constraints becomes more and more critical as a first step in addressing this social issue.

Rural Land Ownership Module: Much of outdoor recreation occurs on private lands by owners and guests, or clients of the owners. Planning landowner assistance programs, landowner information programs and complementary opportunities on public lands requires information on the characteristics and trends of recreation opportunities available on private lands. A significant portion of the Forest Service’s RPA National Assessment series focuses on private lands and the timber, habitat, grazing, water, ownership and recreation opportunity trends these lands represent. No other survey looks nationally at all private lands to include forests, range and agricultural. Without these data, recreation and tourism associated with private forest and rangeland resources would be unknown.

User fees Module: Agency budgets constrict while Americans’ interest in outdoor recreation grows and sources of funding to pay for services, information and facilities become critical. User fees is one option, but much needs to be known about users’ attitudes, willingness to pay, types of services suitable for charging fees, and equity in administration. Surveying just existent users misses all other citizens, all of whom are potential visitors of National Forests and other public lands. Without the user fees data NSRE collects from the general public, acceptable and feasible fee options would be unknown.

Marine Boating Module: These questions are critical to assessing national recreational boating community products and services that promote safe navigation among boat operators. This module will assess both the extent to which those who operate boats have taken a boating safety course and those who know of and use nautical charts and/or “Tides On-line”. Collection of this information is critical to missions and boating safety programs of the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA, and their state partners. No other comprehensive source exists to meet the multiple needs of these agencies and partners. Collection of this information assists in the design of effective boater safety programs.

Objectives and Beliefs Module:

• Forest Service: The GPRA requires public input be considered when the Forest Service strategic plan is revised. Not collecting these data would remove the major vehicle used to assess general public opinions and values regarding different policy and management options for National Forests. Public meetings and other forms of input represent special interests, not the public.

• Bureau of Land Management: The BLM is presently revising their overall mission and strategic goals for which they require public input. Without the NSRE, the BLM has no overarching national-level data on what the public values and their knowledge and awareness of (and management preferences for) BLM lands.

Fresh Water Recreation Last Trip Module: The Environmental Protection Agency has concerns about accounting for the total benefit of water quality in recreation. Most assessments equate water value to use values, which is only a partial accounting. When estimating the benefits of regulatory or other bases of water quality changes, the regulatory deadlines EPA faces often do not leave enough time nor funding to collect the appropriate, case specific data through original studies specific to the water resource in question. Thus, EPA generally relies on benefit transfer methods to value changes in the quality of water resources. The NSRE offers a cost-effective way to collect nationwide fresh water recreation revealed preference data that addresses this problem. The EPA intends to use the collected data to estimate original recreation demand models in support of proposed regulations and in the evaluation of other government proposed projects. These original studies will supplement current benefit transfer methods, provide additional data points, and offer a valuable check on the credibility of previous and other estimates.

NSRE provides a cost-effective way for agencies to work in partnership and conduct surveys of the public and customers. The NSRE covers current issues and long-term trends that agencies required to address. Environmental and social conditions change so rapidly that dated information can no longer be used as the basis for decision-making and program planning. Timing and inclusion of issues is a vital component of each survey, as the NSRE addresses timing needs as they arise. No other cost sharing survey vehicle exists to meet the multiple needs of the Federal partners in this effort.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collecti­on to be con­ducted in a manner:

• Requiring respondents to report informa­tion to the agency more often than quarterly; None

• Requiring respondents to prepare a writ­ten response to a collection of infor­ma­tion in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it; None

• Requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any docu­ment; None

• Requiring respondents to retain re­cords, other than health, medical, governm­ent contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years; None

• In connection with a statisti­cal sur­vey, that is not de­signed to produce valid and reli­able results that can be general­ized to the uni­verse of study; None

• Requiring the use of a statis­tical data classi­fication that has not been re­vie­wed and approved by OMB; None

• That includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by au­thority estab­lished in statute or regu­la­tion, that is not sup­ported by dis­closure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unneces­sarily impedes shar­ing of data with other agencies for com­patible confiden­tial use; or

• Requiring respondents to submit propri­etary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demon­strate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permit­ted by law. None

No special circumstances exist that would require any of the above on the part of the respondents. The collection of information is conducted in a manner consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and iden­tify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8 (d), soliciting com­ments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public com­ments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address com­ments received on cost and hour burden.

One comment received in response to Federal Register Notice published on Monday, January 29, 2007 (Volume 72, pages 3976-3977). The commenter asked a number of questions and accused the survey managers of waste and misleading statements of purpose. The FS lead scientist composed a letter of response addressing the individual’s concerns. The initial comment and response are below.

The Forest Service received a follow-up comment from the individual. A Forest Service representative sent the individual clarifying information regarding survey design and methodology, which seem to satisfy the individual as the Forest Service received no further questions or comments.

Comment received via e-mail on 2/12/2007, from jeanpublic@yahoo.com:

NSRE (I WOULD APPRECIATE A COPY OF THE LAST SUCH SURVEY (PAPER PLS).

ONE HAS TO WONDER WHY THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS COUNTRY ARE PAYING FOR YOUR SURVEY, THE USFWS SURVEY, ETC. ONE SURVEY SHOULD BE ENOUGH. YOURS IS CERTAINLY THE MOST INCLUSIVE, BUT HOW OFTEN IS IT DONE.

CERTAINLY EVERY TEN YEARS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.

BY THE WAY, HAVE YOU COMPARED THE RESULTS YOU FIND ON FISHING AND HUNTING AND "WILDLIFE DEPENDENT ACTIVITIES" WITH WHAT YOU FIND? DO THEY CORRELATE? IF NOT, WHO IS SCREWING WITH THE FIGURES? YOU OR THEM?

IN ADDITION WHY IS THE PUBLIC LEFT OUT OF THE RESULTS.THE PUBLIC NEVER HEARS THE RESULTS. ARE GENERAL TAXPAYERS BENEFITTING FROM THIS OR IS THIS ALL FOR INDUSTRY BENEFIT? IF SO, I THINK IT SHOULD BE FULLY FUNDED BY INDUSTRY AND PRIVATE GROUPS, NOT GENERAL NATIONAL TAXPAYERS.

B. SACHAU

15 ELM ST

FLORHAM PARK NJ 07932

Forest Service response, sent via e-mail

I appreciate your e-mail concerning The National Survey on Recreation and the Environment (NSRE). We try very hard to be relevant and to be mindful that the time we take to interview people is valuable to them. We address issues and topics about which we need information from the public’s perspective. You made some good points and we will consider them seriously.

Let me tell you a little about our surveying. The NSRE we want to start this year will be the ninth in a long series of surveys begun in 1960 as the National Recreation Survey (NRS). Continuation of this survey has served the U. S. well as the primary, consistent source of public outdoor recreation demand data concerning the U.S. population. This survey series has served not only federal land managing agencies, but also educational institutions, the private sector, state agencies, and other governmental agencies on regional and national scales. It is the only general population household survey about outdoor activities done on the national scale, thus providing critical data and information to not only the Forest Service, but to other public and private sector natural resource organizations. The NSRE is the single national survey referred to in the first paragraph of comments.

There are other surveys conducted by other agencies for various different purposes—e.g., the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. But the NSRE is the only one that covers the full spectrum of public outdoor recreation participation, preferences, and attitudes. To our knowledge, there is no duplication of effort with any other survey. No recreation activity, policy, or management practice is promoted over any other. The survey’s objective is to collect information from a cross-section of the American public age 16 and older. In total, 81 different outdoor recreation activities are included in the core section of the NSRE. We do not focus on any particular set of activities, such as hunting or fishing. All activities are represented; including a key group of activities we label “Viewing/Learning/Gathering Activities”. These activities include viewing and photographing birds, other wildlife, plants and vegetation, fish, and natural scenery. Other activities included are sightseeing, gathering natural products such as berries and mushrooms, boat tours and excursions, visiting historic and prehistoric sites, visiting zoos and nature centers, etc.

Bias is always a concern any time generalizations are drawn from a sample to a population. Reducing bias is a central endeavor of survey research and sampling. The NSRE uses random-digit-dialing to create a simple random sample of U. S. households. Only people age 16 and older are interviewed and individuals within the household are randomly selected based on which member has the most recent birthday. Every effort is made to maximize response rates by following the highest accredited quality standards of public opinion and telephone surveying research such as those published by the American Association of Public Opinion Research. Further, a post-stratification adjustment after the data are collected corrects for any over- or under-representation in the sample, for example, based on age, sex, race, educational attainment, and place of residence.

Again, I appreciate the time you took to provide a critique of our survey effort. It is intended to represent the public’s interests in recreation and in public lands. Without such surveying, we wouldn’t know how to advise public officials and private organizations.

Describe efforts to consult with persons out­side the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and record keeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every 3 years even if the col­lection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

Consultation Efforts

Boating Module: The Forest Service consulted with program officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coast Survey and Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, the U.S. Coast Guard, and BOAT US regarding module objectives. Dr. Gary Green, NSRE Project Manager, reviewed module structure, wording of questions, flow and skip patterns; and integrated U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA questions, providing survey efficiencies and avoiding duplication. Dr. Vernon R. (Bob) Leeworthy, NOAA Coastal and Ocean Resource Economics Program Leader, was primary consultant for the module. Elaine Dickerson, BOAT USA provided on-going reviews. Becky Stephens, University of Tennessee Survey Research Center, reviewed and tested module questions for wording and flow, and appropriate skip patterns

Other modules: The Forest Service “Objectives and Beliefs” Module and the EPA’s “Freshwater Recreation Last Trip” Module were previously used in NSRE 2000 survey and proved reliable in applications. There were no changes to either module, though testing of both modules occurs prior to use, with refinements made as needed.

Federal Agency Consultants:

• Dr. Vernon Leeworthy, Leader, Coastal and Ocean Resource Economics Program, NOAA/NOS/Special Projects Office - N/MB7, 1305 East West Highway, SMC4, 9th floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-713-3000 ext. 138.

Dr. Leeworthy has reviewed the survey instrument and protocols on numerous occasions. He has maintained that previously used methods and formats must be maintained for trend analysis and because those the survey has been intensively tested and proven reliable and valid.

• Dr. Bruce Schmidt, U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, BSchmidt@comdt.uscg.mil , 202-267-0955 .

Dr. Schmidt has reviewed the NSRE sample approaches and protocols for identifying water recreation users. He has offered suggestions and support for the tested and proven procedures employed. The Coast Guard will be a sponsor for NSRE 2007.

• Scott H. Evans, Captain, U. S. Coast Guard, Chief, Office of Boating Safety (G-OPB), 202-267-1077, shevans@comdt.uscg.mil, www.uscgboating.org.

Captain Evans reviewed the NSRE for usefulness to the Coast Guard and reported that improvements made in analysis and reporting viewed as most useful to the U.S.C.C.

• Jeff Hoedt, Chief, Program Management Division, Office of Boating Safety, 202-267-0950, JHoedt@comdt.uscg.mil.

Mr. Hoedt has reviewed and commented on the proposed module focusing on boating safety and offered recommendations on questioning and reporting improvements.

• Dr. Stan Zarnoch. Regional Statistical Scientist, Southern Research Station, 200 WT Weaver Boulevard, Asheville NC, 28804 (828-259-0515), szarnoch@fs.fed.us

Dr. Zarnoch has reviewed sampling frameworks and data weighting protocols on an on-going basis for the NSRE. He oversees statistical operations associated with the National Visitor Use Monitoring survey.

Non-Federal Consultants:

• Elaine Dickinson, c/o Boat U.S., 880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304, 703-461-4665

Ms. Dickinson has reviewed the NSRE boating questions, previous analysis, and reporting approaches; and offered suggestions for providing useful output for the boating industry.

• Dr. Gary T. Green, Research Project Manager, Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602-2044, 706-559-4269.

Dr. Green consults with the University of Tennessee survey team and the agency on an on-going basis for identify of problems in question design and potential for improvement of efficiency in substituting modules in and out of different versions. He reports frequently on results with the agency and contributes to analysis and report designs.

• Becky Stephens, University of Tennessee, Dept. of Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries, 274 Ellington Plant Sciences, Knoxville, TN 37996, 865-974-5495.

Ms. Stephens has reviewed intensively interview protocols and efficiency in execution of those protocols across a variety of phone respondents. A continuous improvement process is in operation at the UT Lab for Human Dimensions.

• Dr. Rudolf Schuster, Syracuse University of New York, School of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210 USA, 315-470-4863.

Dr. Schuster has reviewed the wilderness and associated recreation participation questions, and has provided and tested additional dimensions of value and knowledge for those modules.

• Dr. John Bergstrom, University of Georgia, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

Dr. Bergstrom has extensively reviewed NSRE data and provided analysis testing a variety of uses including non-use valuation and wilderness use and value dimensions. He has also conducted an examination of the use of NSRE in the Forest Service’s RPA Assessment for Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than re-enumeration of contractors or grantees.

   1. Respondents receive no payment or gifts for participation in the survey.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

The interviewer will clearly state to the respondent at the beginning of the telephone interview that the information they provide will not be associated with their name and will be used only in statistical reporting combined with other respondents information. In addition, respondents are asked only for general socio-demographic information (e.g., age, race, education, and income levels); they are not asked for names or addresses.

The managers of the Human Dimensions Lab administering this survey are responsible for ensuring all phone number lists (used to drive administration of the NSRE using its CATI system) are password protected and once used are deleted. Once the study is completed, the survey data receive new survey ID numbers, destroying any potential link between the data and a particular phone number. Phone numbers are not shared with the research team beyond the survey operation at the University of Tennessee.

Names and addresses are attached to a percentage of the random list of numbers provided to the research labs. These names and addresses are those listed by the telephone service providers and are deleted once the refusal letters have been mailed, no copies are maintained.

All interviewers and research staff are required to sign “Confidentiality Statements” prior to survey implementation. The Human Dimensions Research Lab subscribes to the ethical principles and guidelines for research as stated in “The Belmont Report” under the auspices of the Institutional Review Board of The University of Tennessee, and they adhere to the “Code of Professional Ethics and Practices” of the American Association of Public Opinion Researchers.

9. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior or attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

There are no questions of a sensitive nature in the NSRE.

9. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated.

Adding different modules to versions 4 through 10 relative to those executed in versions 1 -3 will result in only minor changes in the overall burden hours requested. Module substitution occurs after each version of the survey is used (versions 4-10). This accommodates the different data needs of sponsoring agencies. The average response time for versions 4-10 will be 15 minutes or less per respondent, compared to the average response time of 12 minutes for versions 1-3.

The sampling plan calls for 5,000 completed interviews for each version or 150,000 total responses for versions 1-10. As previously indicated, versions 1-3 are completed. Therefore, estimates are that 35,000 total responses will be received for versions 4-10 (covered by this Information Collection Request).

For a bank of 463,138 numbers, the calculations are:

• Versions 1-3 (completed), based on 30 percent of 463,138 = 138,941

• Versions 4-10 (this ICR), based on 70 percent of 463,138 = 324,197 numbers ÷ 3 years = 108,066 numbers annually

Versions 4-10 – Annual Burden Hour Calculations

Approximately 52.5 percent of the numbers contacted annually (108,066) will be eligible households

• 108,066 x .525 = 56,734.65 eligible households annually

Estimates are that contact is with 80 percent of those households:

• 56,734.65 x .80 = 45,387.72 individuals annually

Thus, the estimated total number of actual annual phone contacts over is 45,388 annually for this ICR, broken down as follows.

Completed Surveys

Annually, an estimated 11,667 individuals will consent to complete the version of the survey in use at the time of contact, with an average response time of 14.5-15 minutes (14.86 minutes or .2475 hours). Implementation of survey versions 4-10 will occur between September 2007 and August 2010 (3 years).

• 11,667 individuals annually x 14.86 minutes (.2475 hours) per interview = 2,888.97 hours annually

Partially Completed Surveys

Estimates are that in addition to contacts completing the survey, 525 individuals annually will partially complete an interview, averaging 7.5 minutes in completing the partial interview, or .125 hours.

• 525 individuals annually x .125 hours = 66 hours annually

Non-response Bias

Each interviewer gathers non-response bias information from approximately 2,967 individuals annually. Contact with these individuals is for one response only and takes an average of 30 seconds per person (.0083 hours).

• 2,967 individuals annually x .0083 hours = 24.725 hours annually

Other

Other respondents or households contacted include those asking for a “callback”, those with language or hearing barriers, and households or individual respondents who refused to participate. Estimates of those contacts average 30 seconds or .0083 hours each. These estimates are calculated using response data from prior applications of the NSRE, specifically the most recent versions 1 through 3 and from piloting survey modules.

• Call backs = 791 annually

• Language/Hearing Barriers = 1,260 annually

• Refusals = 39,620 annually

• 791 annual call backs + 1,260 annual language/hearing barriers + 39,620 refusals = 41,671 other responses annually

• 41,671 other responses x .0083 hours per response = 345.869 annual burden hours

Total annual burden for this ICR:

• 2,888.97 hours annually (completed surveys)

• 66 hours annually (partially completed surveys)

• 24.725 hours annually (non-response)

• 345.869 hours annually (Other)

• 2,888.97 hours + 66 hours + 24.725 hours + 345.969 hours = 3,325.67 burden hours annually  3,326 annual burden hours

Total respondents for this ICR:

• 11,667 respondents annually (completed surveys)

• 525 individuals annually (partially completed surveys)

• 2,967 individuals annually (non-response bias)

• 791 individuals annually (call backs)

• 1,260 individuals annually (language/hearing barriers)

• 39,620 individuals annually (refusals)

• 11,667 + 525 + 2,967 + 791 + 1,260 + 39,620 = 56,830

Table 2 - Average survey response times, versions 4-7

Module	Version 4	Version 5	Version 6	Version 7	Version 8	Version 9	Version 10
Participation and Days (Core)	10 min.	10 min.	10 min.	10 min.	10 min.	10 min.	10 min.
Demographics (Core)	2 min.	2 min.	2 min.	2 min.	2 min.	2 min.	2 min.
Knowledge: Forest Service Management					2 min.
Wilderness and Wildlands			1.5 min. [3 min.*]			1.5 min. [3 min*]
Constraints							2.5 min
Rural Landownership and Use			0.5 min.		0.5 min
User Fees						1.0 min.
Marine Boating	1.0 min	1.0 min	1.0 min	1.0 min	0.5 min	0.5 min	0.5 min
Objectives & Beliefs	2 min. [4 min.*]	2 min. [4 min.*]
Freshwater Recreation Last Trip				1.5 min.
Estimated time per version	15 min.	15 min.	14.5 min.	14.5 min.	15 min.	15 min.	15 min.

*Respondents asked one-half of the questions in this module. Questions randomized.

• Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden estimated. If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form.

a) Description of the collection activity

b) Corresponding form number (if applicable)

c) Number of respondents

d) Number of responses annually per respondent,

e) Total annual responses (columns c x d)

f) Estimated hours per response

g) Total annual burden hours (columns e x f)

Table 3 – Display of annual burden by version of NSRE (Versions 4-10)

(a) Description of the Collection Activity	(c) Number of Respondents	(d) Number of responses per Respondent	(e) Total responses (c x d)	(f) Estimate of Burden Hours per response	(g) Total Version Burden Hours (e x f)	Subtotal
Version 4
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	15.0 min. (0.25 hr)	416.678
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		478.981
Version 5
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	15.0 min. (0.25 hr)	416.678
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		478.981
Version 6
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	14.5 min. (0.2417 hr)	402.844
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		465.147
Version 7
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	14.5 min. (0.2417 hr)	402.844
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		465.147
Version 8
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	15.0 min. (0.25 hr)	416.678
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		478.981
Version 9
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	15.0 min. (0.25 hr)	416.678
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		478.981
Version 10
Complete Survey	1,666.71	1	1,666.71	15.0 min. (0.25 hr)	416.678
Partial Survey	75	1	75	.125 hour	9.375
Non-response bias	423.857	1	423.857	.0083 hour	3.518
Call backs	113	1	113	.0083 hour	.938
Language/Hearing Barriers	180	1	180	.0083 hour	1.494
Refusals	5,660	1	5,660	.0083 hour	46.978
Subtotal	8,118.567	---	8,118.567	---		478.981
Totals	56,829.969  56,830	---	56,829.969  56,830	---	---	3,325.199  3,326

Annual burden hours = 3,326

Total number of annual responses = 56,830

• Record keeping burden required of respondents should be addressed separately and should include columns for:

a) Description of record keeping activity: None

b) Number of record keepers: None

c) Annual hours per record keeper: None

d) Total annual record keeping hours (columns b x c): Zero

• Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories.

Table 4 – Annual cost to respondents

(a) Description of the Collection Activity	(b) Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents (Hours)	(c) Estimated Average Income per Hour	(d) Estimated Cost to Respondents
All survey activities listed above	3,326	$5.85	$19,457.10

9. Provide estimates of the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information, (do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in items 12 and 14). The cost estimates should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component annualized over its expected useful life; and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component.

There are no capital operation and maintenance costs for respondents.

9. Provide estimates of annual cost to the Federal government. Provide a description of the method used to estimate cost and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

The response to this question covers the actual costs the agency will incur as a result of implementing the information collection. The estimate should cover the entire life cycle of the collection and include costs, if applicable, for:

• Employee labor and materials for developing, printing, storing forms: (No forms are used.)

• Employee travel costs (There is no associated travel costs)

• Employee labor and materials for developing computer systems, screens, or reports to support the collection

• Cost of contractor services or other reimbursements to individuals or organizations assisting in the collection of information

• Employee labor and materials for collecting the information

• Employee labor and materials for analyzing, evaluating, summarizing, and/or reporting on the collected information

Table 5 – Average annual cost to the government

Item	Versions 4 – 10
Scientists and Project Analysts (1 full-time GS-11, 1 half-time GS-15)	$170,000
Information Collection through contractor for completed minutes of surveying/year	$294,664
Data Base Management and Documentation	$75,000
Analysis and Reports by scientists (1/2 GS 14)	$70,000
TOTAL Annual Cost	$609,664

Annual cost to Federal government for this information collection is $609,664.

9. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in items 13 or 14 of OMB form 83-I.

The Forest Service is requesting approval for 3,326 annual burden hours, based on 56,830 annual responses. This is a decrease of 1,589 hours burden hours from the previous approval period, and a 36,447 increase in respondents. Previously (2004 ICR), OMB approved an annual burden of 4,915 burden hours, based on 20,383 responses. The difference is the result of the number of initial contacts, the content of the various modules used and interview techniques.

9. For collections of information whose results are planned to be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication.

The revisions do not result in any new types of reporting or analysis. Simple descriptive analyses, multivariate analyses, and participation modeling will be conducted and reports developed for the sponsoring agencies such as the FS, BLM and EPA. The Forest Service will use NSRE as the base information and data source for the Renewable Resources Planning Act Assessment. The NOAA portion of the “Boating Module” will be analyzed by Dr. Vernon R. (Bob) Leeworthy, leader of the NOAA Coastal and Ocean Resource Economics Program, for production of tabulations and reports for NOAA and the Coast Guard. Schedule of products will follow the general schedule of products for the currently approved NSRE 2005. The Forest Service analysis of NSRE data will be used meet the needs of the 2010 RPA National Assessment.

Collection of data will be over a 36-month period, September 2007 to August 2010 (terminating sooner if production rate improvements occur due to shortened survey times). The data will be post-weighted based on the most recent available Census estimates by demographic strata. According to our consultants at the University of Tennessee, the sample will be closely representative of the U.S. population, including representation of urban, suburban, and rural communities, adults over age 16, sex, and ethnicity. This representation will be checked against the Census data, and weighting adjustments will be made as needed.

The weighted database will be analyzed first using descriptive statistics and cross tabulations. These most basic statistical techniques will form the foundation of the NSRE report. It will follow the format of the 1982-83 Nationwide Recreation Survey report, with additional tables and charts added to reflect the addition of variables to the survey and changing distribution of the Nation’s population. The report will be published as a General Technical Report by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station and will be distributed widely to agencies, organizations, and individuals who will use these data in planning and administration. The NSRE 2007 data will also be published widely in journals and media outlets across an agenda of topics represented mainly by the questionnaire modules and sponsor interests.

Tabulation and Statistical Analysis:

1. Descriptive Statistics: Primarily, the NSRE general report will follow most of the same statistical procedures as the 1994-1995, 2000, and 2005 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, which provided descriptive statistics with confidence estimates. Descriptive statistics will include means, percentages, medians, and frequencies. Data will be presented as bar charts, pie charts, tables, and line graphs. Analyses will emphasize the major elements of the data to include recreation participation, participation days, differences by demographic strata and region of the country, knowledge and opinions about public land management, wilderness knowledge and recreation use, boating safety, and coastal state recreation trips.

The USDA Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others will use descriptive statistics to provide specific information as guidance to managers for improving recreation access and service programs for all Americans. NSRE cooperators will employ statistical procedures that include by likely will go beyond the primary descriptions in the production of technical articles aimed at both theory development and application to management. Statistical analysis and modeling procedures have been developed to meet specific needs for information, as described in A.1 and A.2 of this document.

2. Trend Analysis: As a continuation of the National Recreation Survey and dating from 1960, trends in participation will be identified. Although the list of activities has been expanded to reflect the greater variety of recreation activities, specialization and technical development of outdoor recreation within the past 20 years, the categories as developed for NSRE 2005 have been specified so they can be aggregated to insure comparability with the previous surveys.

   1. Regression Analysis: Regression analyses (including logit) will be widely employed. The NSRE 2005 will serve as the principal data source for the analysis of outdoor recreation consumption and demand for the USDA Forest Service’s Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment of Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness, the Montreal Process and the agency’s long-term strategic plan. Consumption is the total number of recreational days by activity taken annually by recreation setting. This version of the NSRE will provide data on days of participation, which will serve as the dependent variable for regression modeling. Trips consumed will be estimated as a function of population, recreational opportunities and substitutes, and household characteristics such as age and income.

   2. Factor Analysis: The USDA Forest Service will perform exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to identify factors relating to types of outdoor recreation activity and behavior. For example, do recreationists cluster into groups that would facilitate improved resource management and information dissemination? Could settings or activities be substituted for some kinds of recreationists if site sensitivity or other factors made a substitution desirable? A major use of factor analysis will be for identifying a reduced set of variables useful in describing recreation participation behaviors and participant profiles. Operating from the factors thus defined, cluster analysis will be used to identify behavioral and perceptual market segments for use in design of service delivery, communications, and planning functions.

Time Schedule

• September 2007 to August 2010: Data collection and editing

• September 2007 to August 2010: Data set management and preparation for analysis

• September 2008 to December 2011: Planning and execution of a number of data analyses

• September 2008 to December 2011: Write and submit for publication a number of reports, each emphasizing different themes. The main final report will be completed by December 2011.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

We are unable to display the expiration date for OMB approval because the NSRE is a telephone survey. If a respondent asks, this information will be provided.

17. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in item 19, "Certification Requirement for Paperwork Reduction Act."

This collection does not have an exception to any portion of the certification statement identified on Item 19 of OMB Form 83-I.

1 Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act

2 Government Performance and Results Act of 1993

3 The four areas of focus for the Chief’s recreation agenda are: 1) provide quality settings and experiences, 2) focus on customer service and satisfaction, 3) emphasize community outreach, 4) strengthen relationships with partners, communities, and others.

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