Correspondences for Surveys

INITIAL CONTACT LETTER

Greetings,

I am writing to ask you to share your views about an important issue affecting the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. Within the next two weeks, you will receive a survey in the mail. The survey is part of a national effort to understand the public’s perception of issues concerning the operation of Glen Canyon Dam. Glen Canyon Dam controls the water level in the Colorado River in the bottom of the Grand Canyon and affects the resources in and along the river. The study is a cooperative effort between the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Area Power Administration, and several Southwest American Indian tribes.

Even if you have never heard of the Glen Canyon Dam, your answers are valuable to this study. We cannot send this survey to every household in the country. Instead, a random sample of households will be selected to help us to understand what the public thinks about future management decisions regarding Glen Canyon Dam. Your participation in the study will help us to understand how people in households like yours feel about the production of electricity from Glen Canyon Dam

A survey will arrive in the mail within the next two weeks. The survey will take about 30 minutes to complete. To ensure a random selection of respondents, we are asking that the survey be filled out by the adult member of your household with the most recent birthday. This may not be the person receiving the survey package. The survey package will provide information about Glen Canyon Dam and the cultural and natural resources below the dam. You will only be asked to give your opinion and responses to questions about how you feel. The survey does not require any technical knowledge of dam operations. A self-addressed stamped envelope will be provided so that you will be able to return the survey to the University of Montana. If you have any questions about the study, you can call Chris Neher, the survey project manager at (406)721-2265.

Thank you, in advance, for your participation.

Sincerely,

Bruce Peacock

Social Science Division, National Park Service

Cover letter to accompany survey package

Greetings,

Enclosed you will find a survey concerning the operations of the Glen Canyon Dam. This information is critical to help management decisions about the future operations of the Glen Canyon Dam. Your responses will help us to understand how the general public feels about the trade-offs between natural resources and the production of electricity from Glen Canyon Dam.

Even if you have never heard about Glen Canyon Dam before receiving this survey, we still need to hear from you. No special knowledge is necessary to complete the survey.

Your household is part of a randomly selected group selected to participate in this study. To ensure a random selection of respondents within a household, we are asking that the survey be filled out by the adult member (18 years or older) in your household having the most recent birthday. Please pass this survey along to that person even if they were not the recipient of the survey package.

Before beginning the survey, please read all of the information included in the package. The information describes Glen Canyon Dam and the cultural and natural resources below the dam. The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Your responses will be completely anonymous and your name will never be connected to this survey. Please do not write your name or address on the survey instrument. There is an identification number on the back of the survey. This number is used to identify everyone who has already returned the survey and those who will need a reminder to return the survey.

Once you have completed the survey, please use the enclosed postage-paid envelope to return it our research team. If you have any questions about the study, please contact Chris Neher, the survey project manager, at (406) 721-2265.

Thank you,

Bruce Peacock

Social Science Division, National Park Service

Hello,

A few days ago your household received a questionnaire about a study we are conducting about the Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. If you have already returned the survey, disregard this message and accept our gratitude for your help in this study.

If you have not completed the survey, we are asking that you take the time to fill it out and return it within the next two days. If should take about 30 minutes to complete. Please use the postage-paid envelope to return the survey to our research team.

Your response to this survey is very important because we are only able to survey a small number of households in this area. Therefore your responses are very valuable to completion of this study.

Thank you for your participation.

Sincerely,

Bruce Peacock

Social Science Division, National Park Service

Greetings,

About two weeks ago, you received a questionnaire asking about your opinions on the operations of the Glen Canyon Dam. If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire, please accept our sincere thanks. If you have not, we still need to hear from you. I am enclosing another copy of the survey in case the first one was lost or misplaced, because your responses are very important for the success of this study.

Even if you have never heard about Glen Canyon Dam before receiving this survey, we would still like to hear from you. No special knowledge is necessary to complete the survey. This information will be used to make decisions about future operations of the dam. Your participation in the study will help us to understand how people in households like yours feel about the production of electricity from Glen Canyon Dam.

Your household is part of a randomly selected group selected to participate in this study. To ensure a random selection of respondents within a household, we are asking that the survey be filled out by the adult member (18 years or older) in your household having the most recent birthday. Please pass this survey along to that person even if they were not the recipient of the survey package.

Your responses will be completely anonymous. Information from the surveys will be reported in summary form and your name will never be connected with your responses. This survey will take about 30 minutes to complete. There is an identification number on the back of the survey. This number is used to identify everyone who has already returned the survey and those who will need a reminder to return the survey.

When the survey is completed, simply return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey or the study, please feel free to call Chris Neher, the survey project manager, at (406) 721-2265.

Sincerely,

Bruce Peacock

Social Science Division, National Park Service