CRP Hunting Viewing Revenues Survey

Dear [Landowner…mail-merged name]

By taking a few minutes to complete the enclosed survey (OMB Control NO – 0560-0259), you’ll be assisting the U.S. Department of Agriculture gain vital information helpful in better serving you, this nation’s farm and ranch community, and the U.S. citizenry. (Recall, we contacted you some time ago by postcard to give you a “heads-up” that you would be receiving this survey.)

As you know, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides technical and financial assistance to eligible farmers and ranchers to address soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on their lands in a cost-effective manner.

The enclosed survey is being conducted by the Farm Service Agency to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture better understand the benefits created by the CRP program for enrolled landowners and the public. The information gathered will be used to answer the following questions:

a. Does being enrolled in CRP create new sources of farm income via hunting and other wildlife-related recreation?;

b. Does CRP create new recreational opportunities and land access opportunities for the public?; and

c. What is the relative value to landowners of the direct CRP payments compared to the income created by recreational uses of their lands?

The questions in the survey refer to all of the CRP contract acres on your farm listed in our records as Farm Number [xxxxx – mail-merged farm number].

The survey is voluntary and is designed to take at most 10 minutes to answer. The results of each survey are strictly confidential and will not be shared outside of combined analyses estimating the effects of CRP benefits. The contents of the survey will be combined with other surveys to provide statistically valid multi-State and national estimates, while protecting the identities of all participants.

Southwick & Associates, in cooperation with the Assessment Resource Center at the University of Missouri, is helping the Farm Service Agency conduct the survey.

If you have any questions about the survey, you can contact:

Mr. Tom Allen OR Skip Hyberg

Tom@southwickassociates.com Skip.Hyberg@wdc.usda.gov

207-570-4185

Thank you in advance for completing the form and returning it in the postage-paid return envelope! Your input is sincerely appreciated.

Skip Hyberg, Ph.D.

Leader, Natural Resources Evaluation and Assessment Project

Economic and Policy Analysis Staff

Farm Service Agency

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TITLE & AFFILIATION

Public Burden Statement:

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.  The valid OMB control number is for this information collection is 0560-0259. The time required to complete this information collection is an average of 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

CRP Hunting and Wildlife Viewing Revenue Survey

Over the last year

1. Was any of your CRP land used by outdoor recreationists for hunting, wildlife viewing, fishing, hiking etc.?

1a) If Yes ______ (Please continue with question 1b below)

No, My CRP land was not used for outdoor recreation (mark all that apply);

___ I am opposed to people I do not know having access to my land,

___ I am opposed to hunting,

___ I was not asked,

___ I do not have sufficient amount of land for hunting,

___ My CRP land is too close to the house/farm/livestock to permit hunting

___ Other (please describe) _____________________________________

If you answered “No” to the above question you have completed the survey. Do not continue with the following questions. Please return this form in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. Thank you for your assistance.

1b) Does this include people other than your family or circle of friends?

_____Yes ____ No

1c) Approximately how many individuals used this land outside of your family and circle of friends?_______, Don’t know _______.

2) What was the main usage of the CRP land (mark all that apply):

___Hunting ___Fishing ___ Hiking /Walking

___Wildlife Viewing

___Other (please describe) ____________________________

___Don't Know _______.

 3) Were the outdoor recreationists (mark all that apply):

___Local to your community,

___From out of the area, but still within your state,

___From out of state,

___Don’t know.

4) Did you receive any income from this recreation use of CRP land? (For example, did you lease hunting rights on this CRP land?)

4a) No, I have not received a fee for outdoor recreational use of my CRP land (mark all that apply);

___I do not believe fees should be charged for hunting or other recreation,

___I did not have the opportunity,

___I do not have sufficient amount of land to lease for hunting,

___ Other (please describe) _____________________________________

If you answered “No” to the above question you have completed the survey. Do not continue with the following questions. Please return this form in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. Thank you for your assistance.

If “Yes:” Please answer

4b) If you received a fee for recreational use of all, or part, of your CRP land, How were fees

assessed? (Answer the one option that best represents your approach):

___ One-time fee for all acres for entire hunting season,

___ Daily charge per person,

___ CRP lands were leased to a commercial hunting outfitter/guide service,

___ CRP lands were enrolled in a state-operated “walk-in” hunting access

program,

___Other (please describe).________________________________________

___________________________________________________________.

4c) Have you leased other (non-CRP) land for hunting or other recreational use?

Yes ___________ No___________

4d) Did the presence of the CRP on your, or your neighbors land, have any influence on your decision to lease other (non-CRP land) land for recreational purposes?

Yes __________ No ___________ Don’t know __________

5) Please estimate the average amount you earned per acre for CRP land that was made available to recreational use: $______ per acre (Include any funding received for recreation or other sources of income that is due to use of CRP land). If “$0 per acre”, then stop survey is completed.

6) Would you have made this recreational use income if the land were NOT in CRP (if it was still being cropped)? ___Yes ___ No.

7) BEFORE enrolling in CRP, how much did you receive from recreation uses over the course of a year (on average) per acre from land that is now in CRP? $_____ acre.

Thank you for completing the survey related to recreational use and economic benefits received from enrollment in the CRP. Please return this form in the enclosed postage- paid envelope.

Please use the space below if you would like to furnish any additional comments. Thank you.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________