National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation Cell Phone and Debit Card Test

FHW-W1[C2]

Household address

City, State Zipcode

Dear Resident:

Your household has been selected for the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The Census Bureau is conducting this survey for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We will ask you if members of your household have participated in fishing, hunting, or wildlife-watching activities (feeding, observing, or photographing wildlife) since January 1, 2011, or if they are likely to participate before the end of the year. If so, we will be collecting information about their involvement with these activities during 2011. Fish and wildlife agencies and organizations will use the information to improve management of fish and wildlife resources for your enjoyment.

We selected your address, not you personally, as part of a scientifically-determined national sample. Your help is voluntary, and there are no penalties for not answering any questions. Your participation is extremely important to ensure that the survey results are complete and accurate. Your answers will be completely confidential.

We have enclosed a Verizon cell phone as a means of communication between your household and the Census Bureau because we could not obtain a telephone number for your household. The cell phone is completely prepaid and will be of no cost to you or your family members. Please remove it from its packaging and charge the phone according to the instruction manual. Our telephone center will be open seven days a week between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time beginning on April 1, 2011. Please call us toll free on 1-800-972-5653 to complete an interview at a time convenient for you.

Census Bureau representatives personally visit households to collect information for this survey when we do not have a telephone number. However, personal visit interviews are much more expensive than telephone interviews. You can help us keep our costs down by using the provided cell phone to call us to complete a telephone interview. Once you have completed your interview, you may keep the cell phone for your own personal use by contacting Verizon, or you may ask us for recycling instructions.

On the back of this letter are answers to questions that survey participants ask most frequently. We have enclosed a reference aid, which will assist you in answering the survey questions. Please keep this reference aid handy for the interview. Also, enclosed is a Quick Facts that provides 2006 survey results for your information.

Thank you for your cooperation. The Census Bureau and the Fish and Wildlife Service appreciate your help.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves

Director, U.S. Census Bureau

Enclosures

What is this survey all about?

The Fish and Wildlife Service is charged with the overall federal responsibility for the country’s fish and wildlife resources. Its mission is to assure the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish and wildlife for the continuing benefit of the American people. To assist in carrying out its responsibilities, the Fish and Wildlife Service has sponsored national surveys of fishing and hunting at about five-year intervals since 1955. The survey is authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Act and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Acts.

How will the information be used?

In addition to the Fish and Wildlife Service, state, local, and other federal agencies use the survey results to provide essential information on present recreation demand and to project future demand both nationally and on a state-by-state basis. The information is used to track trends in fish and wildlife-related recreation and to help develop plans and projects that enhance sport fish and wildlife-related recreation activities.

How will this survey benefit me?

The information you provide will help identify trends in fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching. Policymakers and natural resource managers will use this information to address your recreational needs and to plan resources, education, and recreation programs to meet your community’s future needs.

Why can’t you select someone else?

Your answers are very important to this study, because your household was selected to represent many other households. It would cost too much and take too long to survey all households in the country. We cannot substitute another address for your household, because it would harm the quality of the data we select. The survey’s success depends on your voluntary participation.

How long will this interview take?

For each person, we expect the interview to take from 6 to 18 minutes, with an average of 10 minutes per person. If you have any comments or suggestions about this survey, please send them to: the Paperwork Project xxxx-xxxx, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road 3K138, Washington, DC 20233 or email comments to Paperwork@census.gov. An agency cannot conduct, sponsor, or require a response to a collection of information unless the collection displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval number. The OMB approval number for this survey is xxxx-xxxx and the expiration date is September 30, 2011.

What confidential protection do I have?

We are conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, United States Code, Section 8. Section 9 of the law requires us to keep all information about you and your household strictly confidential. We may use the information only for statistical purposes. Every Census Bureau employee takes an oath and is subject to a jail penalty, a fine, or both if he or she discloses any information that would identify an individual.