AK Justification Federal Lands Transportation-Recreational





Justification for an Information Collection under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service’s Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance (OMB Control No. 0596-0236)



Alaska Federal Land Management Agencies’ Transportation Survey

Introduction: Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance Submission, OMB Control Number 0596-0236



The Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance is intended to help Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs) measure visitors’ transportation-related experiences in order to improve on any transportation-related issues or problems and to promote planning across land units, regionally and nationally. Each FLMA (U.S. Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)) has representatives on the planning team formed to establish the generic clearance.

A brief overview of the steps involved in submitting an Information Collection Request (ICR) is provided below. For more detailed information, along with a list of bureau/office contacts, please see the Best Practices and Guidance document developed specifically for this generic clearance¹.

1. If more than one bureau/office (e.g., FWS and BLM) is collaborating on an IC, the partners must select a “lead” bureau/office to spearhead the effort, along with a contact person from the lead bureau/office.

2. The Information Collection Clearance Officer (ICCO) from the lead bureau/office must review the ICR and provide feedback to the lead bureau/office contact.

3. After the ICCO review has been completed (including a review by the DOI Information Collection Clearance Coordinator), the ICCO must forward the ICR to the USDA Forest Service and copy the FLMA Generic Clearance Coordinator (for contact information, see Best Practices and Guidance document).

4. After the Forest Service ICCO review, the USDA Departmental Clearance Officer submits the ICR to the OMB desk officer for the Forest Service via ROCIS.

5. The OMB desk officer reviews the ICR and provides comments. The lead bureau/office revises the ICR as necessary. Upon approval by OMB, a Notice of Action is issued.

Instructions for Completing the Justification Form

1. Information Collection (IC) Title/Date Submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Office of Regulatory and Management Services: Insert title for the proposed IC (e.g., survey, focus group, comment card, etc.). Insert date that the expedited approval package will be submitted to Forest Service. Reminder: Please submit the package through the lead bureau/office Information Collection Clearance Officer and copy the FLMA Generic Clearance Coordinator.

2. Lead Bureau/Office: Insert the name of the lead bureau/office conducting the survey.

3. Abstract: Summarize the proposed study with an abstract not to exceed 150 words.

4. Bureau/Office Point of Contact Information: Complete the bureau/office contact information. Forest Service will communicate with OMB initially and then direct them to the point of contact listed here (and to the IC Clearance Officer listed in #6 below) throughout the remainder of the approval process. Forest Service should be included on any correspondence pertaining to this IC.

5. Principal Investigator (PI) Conducting the IC: Complete information about the PI who will be conducting the IC, if different than Point of Contact listed in #4. Otherwise note: Same as #4.

6. Lead bureau/office IC Clearance Officer Reviewing the IC: Provide the name and contact information for the ICCO from the lead bureau/office who reviewed the IC.

7. Description of population/potential respondents: Provide a brief description of the population/potential respondents from whom the information will be collected.

8. IC Dates: List the time period in which the IC will be conducted, including specific starting and ending dates. The starting date should be at least 45 days after the submission date. The request for expedited approval, and submission of a complete and accurate approval package, must be made at least 45 calendar days prior to the first day the PI wishes to begin the IC.

9. Type of IC Instrument: Check the type(s) of information collection instrument(s) that will be used. If other, please explain.

10. Data Collection Instrument: Explain how the data collection instrument (e.g., survey, interview guides, discussion guides, etc.) was developed. With whom did you consult during the development on content? Who were the social science and/or statistical experts who reviewed the instruments? How did you address any concerns raised or improvements suggested? Did you pretest the data collection instrument? If yes, how did you address any concerns raised or improvements suggested? (Note: A description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument is highly recommended.)

11. Which of the five topic areas from the Compendium of Questions will be addressed in your IC? Check all that apply. For each question in your survey (or discussion guide or comment card), please indicate the Compendium Topic Area and the unique question identifier from the Compendium. For any questions that are not taken from the Compendium, please indicate “NEW” in the table.

Sample table:

Survey Question Number	Compendium Topic Area	Compendium Question Identifier
Q1	#1- Respondent characteristics	GROUP1
Q2	#1- Respondent characteristics	VHIS7
Q3	#2 Traveler Information	TINFO1
Q4	#2 Traveler Information	NEW
Etc.

12. Methodology: Explain how the IC will be conducted. Provide a description of the methodology including: (a) How will the users/visitors be sampled? (if fewer than all users/visitors will be surveyed); (b) What percentage of users/visitors asked to participate will respond, and (c) What actions are planned to increase the response rate? If statistics are generated, this description must be specific and include each of the following:

- The respondent universe,

- The sampling plan and all sampling procedures;

- How the instrument will be administered;

- Expected response rate and confidence levels; and

- Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias.

Note: Web-based surveys are not an acceptable method of sampling a broad population. If a survey is completely web-based, it must be limited to services provided by the web site. However, it is appropriate to use web-based surveys in combination with other methods, such as an in person intercept.

13. Total Number of Initial Contacts and Expected Number of Respondents: Provide an estimated total number of initial contacts and the total number of expected respondents.



14. Estimated Time to Complete Initial Contact and Time to Complete Survey Instrument: Estimate the time to complete the initial contact and the time to complete the information collection (e.g., survey, comment card, focus group, etc.)(in minutes).



15. Total Burden Hours: Provide the total number of burden hours. The total burden hours should account for the amount of time required to instruct the respondents and the amount of time required for the respondent to complete the survey (or other data collection mechanism).



16. Reporting Plan: Provide a brief description of the reporting plan for the data being collected.

17. Justification, Purpose and Use: Provide a brief justification for the information collection, its purpose, goals, and utility to managers. Specifically, describe how data will be tabulated and what statistical techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire user population. Describe how data from the survey will be used. Describe how you will acknowledge any limitations related to the data, particularly in cases where we obtain a lower than anticipated response rate. Note whether or not the information collection is intended to measure a Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measure.

Instructions for Checklist

Review the checklist to ensure you have met the requirements for submission and that your approval package includes the required items.

Instructions for Certification Form:

Complete the Form and include the names of those who certify that the Justification Form meets the requirements of the generic clearance (OMB control number 0596-0236).

Justification for Submission under Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance (OMB Control Number 0596-0236)

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service Office of Regulatory and Management Services

Forest Service Tracking Number: (for internal use only)

			Date Submitted to Forest Service/USDA:	February 4, 2016, 2016
1.	IC Title:	Alaska FLMA Transportation Survey
2.	Bureau/Office:	Bureau of Land Management National Park Service Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Forest Service



3.

Abstract: (not to exceed 150 words) The purpose of this survey is to collect information that will help the Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs) better understand visitors’ transportation related experiences on Federal public lands and to obtain their evaluation of transportation-related facilities, assets and conditions on Federal lands. The data will provide baseline measures of performance metrics at a statewide level, and these findings will be incorporated into the “Visitor Experience” section of the Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan. The information collection is also designed to help identify transportation-related issues that are problems for visitors and that may hinder their access to Federal public lands. Respondents will be asked questions about their trip characteristics, their activities on Federal public lands, their use of and satisfaction with different transportation modes; the extent to which different transportation issues/conditions are a problem, their use of traveler information, and safety-related issues or concerns.

4.

Bureau/Office Point of Contact Information Please note that this Form was completed by: Margaret Petrella, Social Scientist, U.S. DOT Volpe Center (Margaret.petrella@dot.gov or 617-494-3582)

First Name:

Randy

Last Name:

Goodwin

Title:

Alaska State Office Program Lead for  Recreation (acting), Travel and Transportation Management, Off-Highway Vehicles, and Visual Resource Management

Bureau/Office:

Bureau of Land Management

Street Address:

1150 University Avenue

City:

Fairbanks

State:

AK

Zip code:

99709

Phone:

907-474-2369

Fax:

Email:

rgoodwin@blm.gov

5.

Principal Investigator (PI) Information [If different from #4]

First Name:

Peter

Last Name:

Fix

Title:

Associate Professor of Outdoor Recreation Management, Natural Resources Management Department Chair

Bureau/Office:

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Address:

905 Koyukuk

City:

Fairbanks

State:

AK

Zip code:

99712

Phone:

907-474-6926

Fax:

Email:

pjfix@alaska.edu

6.

Lead agency IC Clearance Officer Reviewing the IC:

First Name

Jean

Last Name

Sonneman

Title

Senior Regulatory Analyst

Phone

202-912-7405

Email

jesonnem@blm.gov

7.

Description of Population/Potential respondents

Users of Alaska Federal public lands

8.

IC Dates

(May 2016)

to

(August 2016)

9.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)

X__Intercept

__Telephone

__Mail

X_Web-based

__Focus Groups

__Comment Cards

__Other

Explain:

10. Instrument Development:

(Who assisted in content development? Statistics? Was the instrument pretested? How were improvements integrated?)

The survey was developed by a social scientist at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Margaret Petrella, in consultation with representatives of FLMAs in Alaska and the Alaska DOT. Members of the team include:

• Randy Goodwin, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

• Paul Schrooten, National Park Service (NPS)

• Marie Messing , Amy Thomas, U.S. Forest Service (FS)

• Charles Grant, Pete Wikoff, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

• Marcheta Moulton, Eric Taylor, Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Roxanne Bash, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Western Federal Lands Highway Division

The team convened numerous meetings to discuss data requirements, develop the method, and to design the survey instrument. The survey contractor, Dr. Peter Fix, also provided a very detailed review. Several meetings were convened with Dr. Fix, and his staff member, Lisa Wedin, to discuss the survey and to revise. A number of changes were made to the survey based on the review by Dr. Fix, including:

	On-site Intercept & Follow Up Survey
1	Added “Alaska” to many of the questions, thus clarifying that the questions pertain to Alaska Federal public lands. This is a reference that will change with each survey effort.
	On-site Intercept Survey
2	For two questions asked only of Alaska residents (VHIS20; TRANUSE22/TRANUSE23), clarified the time frame (e.g., “in the last year”)
3	On use of Federal public lands (VHIS20)– distinguished use in winter months vs. summer months (as use may be different by season)
4	Cut question for Alaska residents on how often they visit other regions of the state (RES18) – similar information is captured in other questions.
5	For transportation modes used (TRANUSE2, TRANUSE20) – added a phrase that respondents should indicate what forms they “plan to use,” in addition to those “used.”
6	When asking about other destinations they have visited (TDEST3) – we added the phrase “have you visited” – in addition to “plan to visit.” In this way, we capture all destinations visited.
	Online Follow-Up Survey
7	Cut question on all sites visited (TDEST8) – we will capture this information in the on-site survey.
8	On electronic devices used (TINFO24), revised “not web-enabled” to “without internet” to clarify meaning.
9	For question on sources used for safety information (SAFE2, SAFE3) – we separated “Road signs” and “Information Displays” as this was an important distinction.
10	Revised response categories to safety question (SAFE9) in order to distinguish between those who experienced one safety incident/accident vs. more than one.

11. Which of the five areas from the Compendium of Questions will be addressed in your IC? (Check all that apply). .

X Topic Area #1: Respondent characteristics

X Topic Area #2: Traveler Information

X Topic Area #3: Trip behaviors

X Topic Area #4: Assessment of Visitor Experiences and Transportation-Related Facilities, Conditions, and Services

• Topic Area #5: Economic Impact and Visitor Spending/Costs

In addition, for each question in your survey instrument (or discussion guide, comment card, etc), please indicate the Compendium Topic Area and the unique question identifier from the Compendium. If the question is not taken from the Compendium, indicate “NEW”.

	Compendium Topic Area	Compendium Question Identifier	Comment
INTERCEPT SURVEY – RECREATIONAL
Q. 1	Respondent Characteristics	RES3	If live in the US. – replaced what is your zip code” with “What is your home state.” This is an easy question for respondents and study objectives do not require the level of specificity of zip code. However, we do ask Alaska residents only for zip code so that we can characterize our sample of Alaska residents by region and possibly do some subgroup analysis by region (depending on sample sizes).
Q. 2	Respondent Characteristics	RES10	No change
Q. 3	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE2	No change
Q. 4	Trip Behaviors	VHIS1	In response categories, rather than asking for specific number of visits in last ten years, provided ranges (to ease respondent burden). Study objectives do not require high level of precision in this response (e.g., 4 v. 5 visits), rather only general patterns are needed (e.g., first visit, ten or more visits, etc.).
Q. 5	Trip Behaviors	VHIS20	Added time reference - “In the last year.” Added clarifying language: “Include commuting through Federal public lands and working on Federal public lands.” Added distinction between winter and summer use, which is relevant to Alaska: “First we’ll ask about your use during winter months, then we’ll ask about your use during summer months.”
Q. 6	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE22, TRANUSE23	Added time reference - “In the last year.”
Q. 7	Trip Behaviors	VHIS1	In response categories, rather than asking for specific number of visits in last ten years, provided ranges (to ease respondent burden).
Q. 8	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE2, TRANUSE20	For which modes of transportation they use within site – we added the phrase “or plan to use” – since respondents may be intercepted at the start of their trip to the site.
Q. 9	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL3	No change
Q. 10	Trip Behaviors	TDEST3	No change
Q. 11	Trip Behaviors	TACT1	Previously, question asked which activities you participated in or planned to participate in, with no way to distinguish activities performed vs. planned. We broke the question into two parts – first we ask what activities they have participated in, and then we ask what activities they plan to participate in. Responses are recorded separately for each part.
Q. 12	Trip Behaviors	TPLAN3	No change
Q. 13	Traveler Information	TINFO1	Omitted part of question asking how helpful information was. Instead of check all that apply, respondent is asked to report whether or not they used each information source (yes, no)
Q. 14	Traveler Information	TINFO2	Only asking second part of question
Q. 15	Respondent Characteristics	GROUP10	No change
Q.16	Respondent Characteristics	GROUP1	Changed “visit” to “trip”
Q. 17	Respondent Characteristics	GROUP3	Changed “visit” to “trip” Made minor wording tweak, based on pre-test – added the words “traveling with”
Q. 18	Respondent Characteristics	GROUP11	For open end follow up, added direction, “Please be as specific as possible, and include the location, if possible.”
Q. 19	Respondent Characteristics	AGE6	No change
Q. 20	Respondent Characteristics	GEN2	No change
Q. 21	Respondent Characteristics	ETHNIC1	No change
Q. 22	Respondent Characteristics	RACE2	No change
Q. 23	Respondent Characteristics	EDU1	No change
Q. 24	Respondent Characteristics	INC1	No change
INTERCEPT SURVEY – NON-RECREATIONAL						No change
Q.1	Respondent Characteristics	RES3	If live in the US. – replaced what is your zip code” with “What is your home state.” This is an easy question for respondents and study objectives do not require the level of specificity of zip code. However, we do ask Alaska residents only for zip code so that we can characterize our sample of Alaska residents by region and possibly do some subgroup analysis by region (depending on sample sizes).
Q.2	Respondent Characteristics	RES10	No change
Q.3	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE2	No change
Q.4	Trip Behaviors	VHIS1	In response categories, rather than asking for specific number of visits in last ten years, provided ranges (to ease respondent burden). Study objectives do not require high level of precision in this response (e.g., 4 v. 5 visits), rather only general patterns are needed (e.g., first visit, ten or more visits, etc.).
Q.5	Trip Behaviors	VHIS20	Added time reference – “In the last year.” Added clarifying language: “Include commuting through Federal public lands and working on Federal public lands.” Added distinction between winter and summer use, which is relevant to Alaska: “First we’ll ask about your use during winter months, then we’ll ask about your use during summer months.”
Q.6	Trip Behaviors	VHIS1	In response categories, rather than asking for specific number of visits in last ten years, provided ranges (to ease respondent burden). Study objectives do not require high level of precision in this response (e.g., 4 v. 5 visits), rather only general patterns are needed (e.g., first visit, ten or more visits, etc.).
Q.7	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE2, TRANUSE20	For which modes of transportation they use within site – we added the phrase “or plan to use” – since respondents may be intercepted at the start of their trip to the site.
Q.8	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL3	No change
Q.9	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL4	No change
Q10	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL6	No change
Q.11	Respondent Characteristics	AGE6	No change
Q.12	Respondent Characteristics	GEN2	No change
Q.13	Respondent Characteristics	ETHNIC1	No change
Q.14	Respondent Characteristics	RACE2	No change
Q. 15	Respondent Characteristics	EDU	No change
Q.16	Respondent Characteristics	INC1	No change
ONLINE FOLLOW-UP SURVEY – RECREATIONAL USERS ONLY
Q. 1	Trip Behaviors	TDUR4	Only used part of question (omitted screener because it seemed redundant)
Q. 2	Trip Behaviors	TDUR6	No change
Q. 3	Traveler Information	TINFO3	No change
Q. 4	Traveler Information	TINFO2	No change
Q. 5	Traveler Information	TINFO24	No change
Q. 6	Traveler Information	TINFO24a	No change
Q. 7	Traveler Information	TINFO26	Added “Not applicable” because respondents may not have visited all of the locations in the response list (e.g., railroad station or depot)
Q. 7a	Traveler Information	TINFO27	No change
Q. 8, 9, 10	Trip Behaviors	TDEST11	No change
Q. 11	Trip Behaviors	TACT9	Made minor wording change based on the pre-test – question was written in the negative, which was confusing to some respondents. We revised it, so it follows the same structure as Q.8
Q. 12	Trip Behaviors	TACT10	No change
Q. 13	Trip Behaviors	TACT11	No change
Q. 14	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE7	No change
Q. 14a	Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE7	No change
Q. 15	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL2	No change
Q. 16	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL8	No change
Q. 17	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL13	Added clarifying language : “If you had no experience with a particular service or facility, please check “Not applicable”
Q. 18	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL21	No change
Q. 19	Assessment of Visitor Experience	OPIN7	No change
Q. 20	Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE2	Instead of asking about which sources they searched prior to their trip (for safety information) – the question was revised to ask respondents what information they were seeking.
Q. 21	Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE7	Clarified meaning of a safety concern: “(e.g., concern about potential injury)”
Q. 22	Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE9	Included “transportation-related” in the question wording to make it more specific Revised responses categories to enable the measurement of one vs. more than one safety accident or incident
Q. 23	Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE9a	Tweaked the wording so it applies to those who experienced one safety accident/incident as well as those who experienced multiple safety accidents/incidents
Q. 24	Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE9b	No change
Q. 25	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAl4	No change
Q. 26	Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAl6	No change

12. Methodology:

(Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page).

It should be noted that this survey project must also be approved by UAF’s Institutional Review board (http://www.uaf.edu/irb/).

Respondent Universe

The respondent universe includes adult (18 years of age or older) users and visitors of Alaska Federal public lands, including both Alaska residents and non-residents. The survey will focus primarily on those who are using Federal public lands for recreational or sightseeing purposes; however, those using Federal lands for other purposes (e.g., commuting, traveling through) will also be asked a limited set of questions, and their responses will be analyzed separately.

Sampling Plan/Procedure

With input from each of the FLMAs, the survey team identified 15 sites or areas across the state; including 4 NPS sites, 2 BLM sites, 2 FWS sites, 2 FS sites, and 5 multi-agency sites. For each site or area, there will be approximately two to four intercept locations. Appendix A includes the list of sampled sites and intercept locations.

The included sites extend across an expansive geographic area, with some sites having low annual visitation. The sampling strategy will involve grouping the sites into regions based on efficient travel patterns for the survey team. For each site, anticipated annual use, season length and visitation patterns will guide the number of days to be sampled at that site.

For each region, study teams consisting of local UAF School of Natural Resources and Extension (SNRE) faculty/staff will be developed. This will provide a source of local expertise regarding sampling and study administration logistics, familiarity with contacts for sampling, and a point person for overseeing the survey (answering questions of survey aides, quality checking the sampling process, etc.). In addition, a team of two survey aides will be assigned to each region.

Key project personnel will be certified by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (https://www.citiprogram.org/). An overall training will take place with SNRE study team members and survey aides. This will ensure all involved in the project are using the same methods and understand the project objectives. In addition, the training will address any questions the survey aides may have. The local SNRE project leads will oversee the project in their respective region. They will be available to answer questions that arise, arrange for unannounced spot checks on the surveying procedure, and in general ensure survey aides are following protocol.

For onsite surveys a random sample can be obtained by assigning time blocks to the study period, consecutively numbering each block, and then randomly selecting time blocks (Vaske, 2008). The number of blocks selected is determined by the expected variation in visitor numbers and visitor characteristics across the blocks. However, as the number of locations and travel time between locations increase, selecting a random sample becomes increasingly logistically challenging and expensive. The sites included in this study are characterized by large travel distances between sites, prohibiting a completely random sample. Thus a purposeful sample will be used. The sample will be guided by the following principles:

• Gather data for each site at different times throughout the summer to increase representation and ensure the sample is not influenced by temporal events such as extreme rain events, smoke from wildfires, temporary road closures (e.g., a washout or truck accident on the Dalton Hwy., road closures due to wildland fire, etc.).

• Sites will be sampled across various days of the week (i.e., each site will contain a mix of week days and weekend days).

• Within selected time blocks sampling will occur across a range of times of the day (i.e., sites will be sampled in the morning, afternoon, and evening).

• The number of days each site is selected for sampling will be determined by expected use levels, variation in use across the season, and significant events at that site (e.g., salmon fishing on the Russian River, moose hunting in the Nome Creek Valley).

• Sampling will target non-local visitors to a FLMA (e.g. cruise ships) as well as ensuring local visitors are sampled.

• The sampling schedule will consist of many trips in which the surveyor will stay in the field for several days. Sites will be grouped together based on efficient travel patterns, with multiple sites often sampled in a trip.

• Flexibility will be included in the sample plan for travel related delays such as road closures and Alaska Marine Highway ferries being cancelled. Clear instruction with procedures for such events will be developed for survey aides.

The goal is to obtain at least 200 completed onsite surveys from each site, however, at many sites 400 completed surveys, if not more, should be obtained. With 200 surveys, the margin of error would be +/- 7.5% at the 95% confidence level; 400 surveys will reduce the margin of error to +/- 5% (Dillman, Smyth, & Melani Christian, 2014).

With respect to sampling, at low use sites we will sample one individual from each group. At high use sites, visitors will be sampled in an interval (e.g., one group every five minutes). When sampling a group, to provide randomization, we will ask the person with the most recent birthday to complete the survey.

Instrument Administration

Users/visitors who are intercepted will be asked to complete a brief on-site survey, and they will be told that there is an optional follow-up survey that they will be invited to complete. Since we will be capturing visitors at different points in their overall trip, the follow-up survey enables us to collect post-trip data on the entirety of their transportation experience.

For the on-site intercept survey, trained interviewers will approach the randomly selected visitor group and will ask them to participate in the survey using the following script (also see Appendix B for script):

Good morning [/afternoon]. My name is (first and last name), and I am conducting a study for the Alaska Federal Land Management Agencies to learn about users’ transportation experiences on Federal public lands. We are asking users to complete a brief survey now, and then we’d like to send you a follow-up survey to complete when you return home. We will use this information to better understand the types of transportation improvements needed on Federal public lands.

Your participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw from the study at any time. Would you be willing to take 13 minutes to complete the survey now?

IF YES: “Thank you! May I ask who in your group has most recently celebrated his or her birthday? Can you please complete the survey? You can take the survey using this tablet computer, or if you prefer, we also have a paper version of the survey.

[IF NECESSARY EXPLAIN: “We ask who has celebrated their birthday most recently because we are trying to randomly select who completes the survey from each group”]

First, is this trip for recreational or sightseeing purposes or for some other purpose?

IF RECREATION/SIGHTSEEING: PROVIDE RECREATION SURVEY

IF OTHER PURPOSE: PROVIDE NON-RECREATIONAL SURVEY

IF NO: Thank you. Have a great visit.

If the respondent is willing, the on-site surveys will be completed on an iPad. The use of iPads allows the data to be entered into a database as the survey is being completed. Davis, Thompson, and Schweizer (2012) found iPads to be cost effective and enjoyable by visitors to use, with visitors expressing a preference for iPads over paper surveys. However, some visitors might feel more comfortable with a paper survey, so we will also have paper surveys available. The iPad will be used to input data from any paper surveys. Recorded with the onsite survey will be date, time, and location the survey was administered.

Non-recreational users of Federal lands only complete the onsite intercept survey; they are not asked to complete the follow-up survey. For recreational users, the last question of the on-site survey asks if they are willing to participate in the follow up survey. The follow-up survey will be administered online. However, if a respondent prefers to complete the follow-on survey via paper, a hard copy of the survey will be mailed to the respondent. Email or mailing addresses will be gathered for those who agree to participate. This contact information will be stored in a separate file and will not be linked to the individual’s responses. The file of email and mailing addresses will be destroyed upon completion of the study.

The follow-up survey will be sent to Alaska residents within a few days of the on-site visit (see Appendix B for invitation to complete follow-up survey). For non-residents of Alaska who may be on a longer trip, the survey includes a question on when they expect to leave Alaska. The link to the online survey will be sent to the respondent within a few days of that date.

Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

Response rates for the onsite survey will likely vary by the site sampled. At sites with independent travelers visiting for recreation (primarily local travelers), response rates should be close to 90% (Fix, 2008; Fix, Ackerman, & Fay, 2012; Fix, Padilla, & Lingle, 2012; Stegmann, Fix, & Teel, 2008). For visitors on package tours, previous research has found while they are interested in the study, time constraints can limit their participation. The onsite response rate for package tour visitors is expected to be approximately 50%. Overall, then, we anticipate a response rate of approximately 73% for the in-person intercept survey (see Appendix A for Table detailing response rates by site).

For the online follow-up survey, we anticipate a response rate of approximately 42%. This estimate is based on the experience of a recent online follow-up survey of Dalton Highway Recreational Visitors in Alaska (Fix, 2013). The latter survey achieved a response rate of 34.2% without the use of any reminder notifications. For this survey, two reminder notifications will be sent, as needed, and should boost response rates (see Appendix B for Respondent contact materials). The first reminder will be sent approximately one week following the initial invitation to complete the follow-up survey. The second and final reminder (if needed) will be sent one week following the first reminder. Both reminders will be sent via email. However, if the respondent requested a paper survey and did not provide an email, then reminders will be sent via mail. For any respondent who requested a paper survey, the second reminder (if needed) will always be sent via mail, with a hard copy of the survey. In addition, based on UAF experience, it is anticipated that the sites visited primarily by local travelers will achieve a somewhat higher response to the follow-on survey as well, as these travelers are familiar with UAF and want to help.

Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

While administering the survey on-site the UAF survey aide will track observable information for all those contacted to complete the survey who refused (see Appendix C for log sheet). This information would include group size, whether with an organized tour, presence of children, and if possible to observe, mode of transportation (e.g., RV, sedan, bicycle) and activity. Weather conditions will also be observed.

To further test for nonresponse bias, a couple of questions from the onsite survey will be asked of visitors who decline to complete the survey. The questions were selected based on visitor characteristics that might relate to several of the survey’s topic areas and key management information (e.g., travel experience). These questions include:

• Where do you live (if U.S., probe for state)

• Previous visitation (If non-resident: Alaska/If Alaska resident: this area)

• Travel mode to site (if not observed)

• Rating of travel experience

After all data has been entered and checked for data entry errors, the first step will be to assess representation and any potential nonresponse bias. This will consist of determining if response rates were equivalent across sample blocks, both across time of day and time of summer. Non-respondents will be compared to respondents on the nonresponse questions to measure representation. For example did FLMA visitors with young children systematically refuse to participate? Was there a lower response rate among those in an organized tour?

If either of the two analyses indicates there might be an issue with representation, further investigation will be conducted (e.g., do differences among respondents on those questions impact other key variables?). Weights could be applied if necessary.

In addition, analysis will be performed comparing those who completed the onsite survey to the set of respondents who complete the online follow-up survey to understand if certain subgroups are underrepresented in the follow-on survey. The study team will compare the demographic characteristics, group characteristics, travel modes used, and intercept location of those who completed the on-site survey only vs. those who also completed the follow-up survey to determine if the two samples are roughly equivalent. Weights could be applied to the follow-up survey if necessary.

Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument (recommended)

The survey instrument was initially developed by the U.S. DOT in consultation with Alaska FLMA partners. The PI, Dr. Peter Fix, and his team provided a rigorous review, and there were several rounds of revision based on their input (see Q. 10 above on Instrument Development). In addition, the PI conducted a small pre-test of the survey with 6 people to determine if any questions were unclear or confusing, and to test survey length. Overall, there were no major problems with the survey; however respondents did think that a few of the questions could be more clearly worded, and they felt the follow-up survey was long. The issues raised by respondents, and the resulting survey revisions are summarized in the table below. In addition, four questions in the follow-up survey were cut in order to reduce survey length.

Q #	Issue		Resolution
General	Respondent directions were not always provided, nor were they consistent throughout the survey.		Reviewed survey and included directions where they were missing. Also made directions more consistent.
General	Surveys (on-site and follow-up) took a little longer than anticipated		Added 3 minutes to survey burden for onsite survey (increased time estimate from 10 minutes to 13 minutes).
ONSITE SURVEY
6	Respondent wondered why the second part of the question did not reference traveling to or through Federal public lands.		Added wording to second part of question, clarifying “to or through Alaska Federal public lands”
6	Survey included the response, “small commercial airline” but there was no response for large commercial airlines. It is unclear if Alaska Airlines is “small.”		No need to distinguish between small vs. large airlines, so we removed the word “small”
6	The list of transportation options is long for this question and respondents found it cumbersome.		We will group transportation forms by type (e.g., water options are grouped together) Cut “horse” and “dog sled” – these are not important For frequency scale, we put “never” first, since that is the most likely response for a number of the options.
8	Again, list of transportation forms is quite long and cumbersome.		Cut “horse” and “dog sled” – these are not important Since this question is site specific, we will customize the list to each region. For example, for sites in Alaska’s Interior, which cannot be accessed by cruise or by the Alaska Marine Ferry, we will remove those response options.
11	Activities – Part B: Respondents confused by “Plan to do on this trip” – does this include things they planned to do but didn’t?		No it does not include activities they planned to do but didn’t – that question is asked in the follow-up survey, after they have completed their entire trip. To clarify our meaning, we revised as follows: Next, which activities do you plan to participate in during the rest of your trip?
17	The original wording was confusing: On this trip, are you and your personal group with the following type of organized groups?		To clarify, reworded to: On this trip, are you and your personal group traveling with any of the following types of organized groups?
Follow-Up Survey
Q. 11		Question about activities you were not able to engage in is written in the negative; this is a little confusing.	Reworded: Were you able to participate in all the activities that you and your personal had planned on Federal public lands?
Q. 13		suggest cutting “if any”	Removed “if any”
Q. 19		Respondents did not understand “wayfinding signs”	Changed to: “Signs that include directions or wayfinding information”
Q.21		Unsure what we meant by “Conflict between vehicles and bicycles” and “Conflict between vehicles and pedestrians”	Reworded to “Interactions between”

13.

Total Number of Initial Contacts and Expected Number of Respondents

See Table in Appendix A

14.

Estimated Time to Complete Initial Contact and Time to Complete Instrument

Across all sites, we plan to intercept 9467 respondents. Based on a 70% response rate, we expect that 6330 visitors will complete the on-site survey. Of those, we expect that approximately 40%-50% (depending on the residence of the traveler) will also complete the follow-up online survey, for a final sample of 2605 respondents who completed both surveys. We estimate 1 minute for the initial contact, 2 minutes for the non-response questions. 13 minutes to complete the onsite survey and 18 minutes to complete the follow-up survey.

15.

Total Burden Hours

Contacts

Respondents

-----------------

Total

Contacts: 1 min. (.02 hour) * 9467 = 189 hours

NON-RESPONSE

• On-site: 2 min. (.03 hr)* 3137 = 94 hours

• Follow-up: 2 min. (.03 hr)*3725 = 112 hours

Surveys:

• On-site: 13 mn (.216 hr) * 6330 = 1367 hours

• Follow-up: 18 mn (.30 hr) * 2605 = 782 hours

Total= 2,544 hours

16. Reporting Plan:

A separate report detailing the results of the survey will be developed and submitted to FHWA Western Federal Lands and to the Alaska FLMA partners. In addition, findings will be incorporated into the Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan. Presentations will be made to FLMA transportation planners and/or resource managers in Alaska, and a presentation will likely be made at the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to demonstrate how collaborative surveys of this type can inform long range transportation planning.

17. Justification, Purpose, and Use:
IC Justification and Purpose	Section 1119 of P.L. 112-141, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) requires the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to implement transportation planning procedures for Federal lands and tribal transportation facilities that are consistent with the planning processes required under sections 134 and 135 of title 23. These processes are based on "3-C" principles: comprehensive, continuous, and cooperative. As described in section 135, under the scope of the planning process (d, 2 (A)), “The statewide transportation planning process shall provide for the establishment and use of a performance-based approach to transportation decision-making ...” This survey fulfills the requirements of MAP-21 as it is a collaborative effort among the Alaska FLMAs to collect statewide data on performance metrics related to users’ transportation experience on Federal public lands. The data collected from these surveys will feed directly into the Alaska Long Range Transportation Plan, providing a baseline measure of users’ experience. More specifically, this IC enables FLMAs to obtain information from users/visitors (both residents and non-residents of Alaska) on their transportation related experiences on Federal public lands. A separate survey to be administered at conferences during the fall and winter of 2016 will sample rural Alaskans who tend utilize Federal lands for subsistence purposes. The results of these efforts will be reported separately.
IC Goals	The goal of this IC is to collect information from users/visitors of Alaska Federal public lands, and more specifically their use and evaluation of transportation-related assets and conditions.
Utility to Managers	The data will provide baseline performance measures to FLMA transportation planners and will help identify problems with FLMA transportation facilities or conditions, including access-related issues.
How will the results of the IC be analyzed and used?	Data from the surveys administered on the tablet computer will be downloaded into an Excel spreadsheet. For the paper surveys (if any), the data will be coded into the same Excel spreadsheet. Analysis will be conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. All data will be stored in electronic and hard copy and will adhere to data management procedures required by the Federal Government. After the test for representation and bias have been conducted, analysis will be conducted. In addition to analyzing overall frequencies (i.e. combined data from all sites), analysis will also be conducted within sites (i.e., responses to survey questions at one site and/or region) and across sites (i.e., comparing responses across sites and/or regions). This will consist of frequency distributions of responses and means of responses as appropriate. For example, a question asking respondents what activities they participated in will result in categorical data and will be analyzed as the percentage of respondents selecting each activity. A question that asked respondents to rate their satisfaction on a 5-point scale can utilize parametric statistics such as means. Frequencies or means will be reported for all questions in the survey (although content analysis would be conducted on any open-ended questions). Relationships between variables will be examined as appropriate. For example, we could analyze activity participation, information sources used, or satisfaction with facilities by demographic variables such as age or residence. A variable such as satisfaction with facilities could also be compared across transportation types such as private vehicles versus tour buses. When comparisons among sites are made, the Chi-square, t-test, or Analysis of Variance will be conducted as appropriate. The follow up web survey results will be analyzed in the same manner as the onsite surveys. Using a unique identifier, follow up responses will be linked and compared to the onsite survey of the respondent. When the study is completed, the final report, the survey instrument, the data, and the data codebook will be archived on ScienceBase, a database hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). All surveys administered under Generic Clearance 0596-0236 (Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance) will post their survey instruments, data and other documentation on ScienceBase, in an effort to increase data sharing and to reduce the duplication of surveys. Personally identifiable information (PII), including email addresses or mailing addresses will be collected in order to send respondents the follow-up survey. Any PII will be stored in separate files (not combined with survey responses) and will be destroyed upon the conclusion of the study.
How will the data be tabulated? What Statistical Techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire customer population? How will limitations on use of data be handled? If the survey results in a lower than anticipated response rate, how will you address this when reporting the results? (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page). Frequencies and crosstabs will be tabulated, as described in the previous question. Statistical tests used to generalize the results to the entire population include ANOVA and t-tests when the variable being compared is interval or ratio data. Confidence intervals will be reported. Any limitations on use of the data will be noted in the data codebook and in the survey report. For the on-site survey, if the response rate for some of the intercept sites is lower than expected, we will use the non-response analysis to determine if weighting is needed. If that analysis reveals that there are no significant differences between respondents and non-respondents, then weighting will not be necessary. Appropriate confidence intervals will be reported, based on sample sizes. In addition, if sample sizes are small for some sites, we will include a note that highlights the need to interpret the findings with caution, given the smaller sample sizes. For the follow-up survey, we will perform the same analysis – comparing respondents and non-respondents to the follow-up survey to determine if weighting is needed based on a nonresponse analysis. Again, appropriate confidence will be reported, and if sample sizes are small, we will include a note citing this limitation of the data.
Is this survey intended to measure a Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measure? If so, please include an excerpt from the appropriate document. (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page). No, this survey is not intended to measure a GPRA performance measure.

Checklist for Submitting a Request to Use USDA-Forest Service Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance

X All questions in the survey instrument are within the scope of one of the USDA-Forest Service Generic Clearance topic areas (see Compendium of Questions).



X The approval package is being submitted to the Forest Service Office of Regulatory and Management Services at least 45 days prior to the first day the PI wishes to administer the IC to the public.



X [IF SURVEY] A qualified statistician has reviewed and approved your request.



X Your bureau/office Information Collection Clearance Officer has reviewed and approved the approval package.

X When you forward the approval package to USDA Forest Service, copy the FLMA Generic Clearance Coordinator



The approval package includes:

X A completed Justification

X  A signed Certification Form

X A copy of the survey instrument

X Other supporting materials, such as:

• Cover letters to accompany mail-back questionnaires

• Introductory scripts for initial contact of respondents

• Necessary Paperwork Reduction Act compliance language

• Follow-up letters/reminders sent to respondents



The survey methodology presented in the Justification includes a specific description of:

X The respondent universe

X The sampling plan and all sampling procedures, including how respondents will be selected

X How the instrument will be administered

X Expected response rate and confidence levels

X Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

X A description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or the instrument is highly recommended.



X The burden hours reported in the Justification include the number of burden hours associated with the initial contact of all individuals in the sample (i.e., including refusals), if applicable, and the number of burden hours associated with individuals expected to complete the survey instrument.

X The package is properly formatted (Word) and submitted to the Office of Regulatory and Management Services electronically. 

Certification Form for Submission Under OMB Control Number 0596-0236

This form should only be used if you are submitting a collection of information for approval under the USDA-Forest Service Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance.

If the collection does not satisfy the requirements of the Generic Clearance, you should follow the regular PRA clearance procedures described in 5 CFR 1320.

Bureau/Office Bureau of Land Management
IC Title (Please be specific) Alaska FLMA Transportation Survey
Estimated Number Contacts Respondents (on-site) Respondents (Follow-up)		9467 6330 2605	Time per Response (minutes) Contacts: Respondents –on-site: Respondents-Follow-up: Time for Non-Response On-site; Follow-up:				1 minute/contact 13 minutes/respondent 18 minutes/respondent 2 minutes 2 minutes
			Total Burden Hours Contacts Respondents (total) Non-Respondents (total) ----------------- Total				189 hours 2149 hours 206 hours 2544 hours
Bureau/Office Contact (who can best answer questions about content of the submission): U.S. DOT Volpe Center or University of Alaska-Fairbanks
Name	Margaret Petrella, The Volpe Center OR Peter Fix, University of Alaska-Fairbanks			Phone	617-494-3582 907-474-6926
Certification: The collection of information requested by this submission meets the requirements of OMB control number 0596-0236
Bureau/Office Qualified Statistician Dr. Peter Fix						DATE 2/4/16
Bureau/Office Information Collection Clearance Officer Jean Sonneman						DATE 1/13/16
Forest Service, Office of Regulatory and Management Services						DATE

Appendix A: Sites (by Region) for Alaska Visitor/User Survey

*Weather conditions might result in a lower sample size.

Agency	Site	Intercept locations	Expectedvisitation	Approximate number of days sampled	Onsite contacts	Anticipated onsite response rate	On-Site Completed survey goal	Follow up response rate	Online Follow-up Completed survey goal
BLM	White Mountain National Recreation area	Nome Creek Valley, Cripple Creek Campground, Wickersham Dome	Low	26	333	90%	300	50%	150
BLM	Denali Hwy.	Tangle Lakes / Delta National Wild and Scenic River (Swede Lake Trail)	Low	21	144	90%	130	50%	65
FWS	Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)	Ocean and Islands Visitor Center (Homer)	Moderate	9	571	70%	400	40%	160
FWS	Kenai NWR	Visitor Center at HQ (Soldotna), Skilak Lake Visitor Contact Station and Vicinity	Moderate	15	683	73%	500	42%	210
NPS	Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (NHP)	Cruise Ship Dock, Ferry Dock, Visitor Center, Trails Orientation Center	High	18	615	65%	400	40%	160
NPS	Denali National Park (NP)	Visitor Center, Railroad Depot, Wilderness Access Center, Savage River Check Station	Moderate	8	444	90%	400	40%	160
NPS	Kenai Fjords NP	Visitor Center in Seward / Exit Glacier	Low	13	812	62%	500	40%	200
NPS	Katmai NP	Brooks camp, King Salmon Airport	Moderate	16	268	75%	200	40%	80
USFS	Chugach National Forest (NF)	Russian River and vicincity, Whistle stop train	High	17	726	69%	500	44%	220
USFS	Tongass NF	Southeast Alaska Discovery Center/Ketchikan sites; Prince of Wales/ Ferry; Hoonah Ranger district; Mendenhall Visitor Center/Juneau trails	Moderate	69	2558	55%	1400	40%	560
Multi		Coldfoot Arctic Interagency Visitor Center	Low	13	267	75%	200	40%	80
Multi		Alaska Public Lands Information Center (APLIC) Tok	High	16	500	80%	400	40%	160
Multi		APLIC - FBX	High	9	375	80%	300	40%	120
Multi		APLIC - Anchorage	High	8	571	70%	400	40%	160
Multi		Sitka NHP and Tongass access	Moderate	18	600	50%	300	40%	120
TOTAL				276	9467		6330		2605

Appendix B: Respondent Contact Materials

ON-SITE RECRUITMENT SCRIPT

Good morning [/afternoon]. My name is (first and last name), and I am conducting a study for the Alaska Federal Land Management Agencies to learn about users’ transportation experiences on Federal public lands. We are asking users to complete a brief survey now, and then we’d like to send you a follow-up survey to complete at your convenience. We will use this information to better understand the types of transportation improvements needed on Federal public lands.

Your participation is voluntary, and you can withdraw from the study at any time. Would you be willing to take 13 minutes to complete the survey now?

IF NO: Thank you. I understand.

IF YES: “Thank you! [IF MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN GROUP:] May I ask who in your travel group has most recently celebrated his or her birthday? Can you please complete the survey? You can take the survey using this tablet computer, or if you prefer, we also have a paper version of the survey.

[IF NECESSARY EXPLAIN: “We ask who has celebrated their birthday most recently because we are trying to randomly select who completes the survey from each group”]

First, is this trip for recreational or sightseeing purposes or for some other purpose?

IF RECREATION OR SIGHTSEEING: PROVIDE RECREATIONAL USER SURVEY

IF OTHER PURPOSE: PROVIDE NON-RECREATIONAL USER SURVEY

This survey is about your transportation experiences on Federal public lands in Alaska. Examples of Federal public lands include National Parks, National Forests, National Recreation Areas, and National Wildlife Refuges. When we use the term “public lands,” we are also referring to the roads, trails, rivers, and lakes on those lands. Since this is a statewide survey asked of people visiting different regions of Alaska, some questions may not apply to you.

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 for this information collection is 0596-0236. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions.

If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Office of Research Integrity at 474-7800 (Fairbanks area) or 1-866-876-7800 (toll-free outside the Fairbanks area) or uaf-irb@alaska.edu. 

INITIAL EMAIL FOR FOLLOW-UP SURVEY

Note: We anticipate that there may be a few respondents who prefer to complete a paper version of the follow-up survey. In such cases, the following email contact will be adjusted (e.g., references to the survey link will be removed), and it will be sent as a letter via the U.S. Postal service, with a paper version of the survey enclosed with the letter.

Dear [First Last],

We hope that you enjoyed your recent visit to Alaska's Federal public lands.  You may recall completing the first part of a survey in-person at [INSERT SURVEY INTERCEPT LOCATION], and you agreed to complete our follow-up survey.  This follow-up survey is about that same trip, and it should only take about 18 minutes of your time to complete.  

To complete the survey, please use the following link: [LINK TO SURVEY].

When you start the survey, you will be prompted to enter your user code. This allows us to link your follow-up responses to your onsite responses. Your user code is [INSERT USER CODE]. Your contact information will not be linked to your results and your responses will remain confidential.

Your feedback is very important to us! The results will be used to help us better manage your Federal public lands.

As participation is voluntary, you can withdraw at any time. Completing the survey implies your consent to participate. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Peter Fix at (907) 474-6926 or pjfix@alaska.edu. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact the UAF Office of Research Integrity at 474-7800 (Fairbanks area) or 1-866-876-7800 (toll-free outside the Fairbanks area) or uaf-irb@alaska.edu.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Sincerely,

Peter Fix

Principal Investigator

University of Alaska Fairbanks

SECOND FOLLOW-UP

Note: We anticipate that most, if not all, follow-up contact will be via email. For respondents who do not have email or prefer not to give us their email, we will correspond via mail. The second follow-up (below), will be revised as necessary (e.g., remove references to online survey).

Dear [first last],

A survey was recently [e-mailed/mailed] to you regarding your trip on Alaska public lands. As of today we have not received your response. Please complete the survey at your earliest convenience. Because the surveys were sent to only a limited number of visitors to Alaska Federal public lands, it is extremely important that we hear from you.

If you did not receive the [e-mail with the link to the survey/the survey], or if it was deleted from your email account, here is the link: [INSERT SURVEY LINK].

When you start the survey, you will be prompted to enter your user code; this allows us to link your follow-up responses to your onsite responses. The user code you will enter is: [INSERT CODE]. Your contact information will not be linked to your results and your responses will remain confidential.

As participation is voluntary, you can withdraw at any time. Completing the survey implies your consent to participate. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Peter Fix at (907) 474-6926 or pjfix@alaska.edu.. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact the UAF Office of Research Integrity at 474-7800 (Fairbanks area) or 1-866-876-7800 (toll-free outside the Fairbanks area) or uaf-irb@alaska.edu.

Sincerely,

Peter Fix

Principal Investigator

University of Alaska-Fairbanks

THIRD (FINAL) CONTACT

Note: We anticipate that most, if not all, follow-up contact will be via email. For respondents who do not have email or prefer not to give us their email, we will correspond via mail. If sent by mail, the final follow-up (below), will be revised as necessary (e.g., remove references to online survey), and a copy of the survey will be enclosed with the letter.

Dear [First Last],

We hope that you enjoyed your recent visit to Alaska's Federal public lands.  When you visited [INSERT SURVEY INTERCEPT LOCATION] several weeks ago, you completed the first part of a survey about your trip. We sent you a follow-up survey (by [e-mail/mail]) about the same trip. To the best of our knowledge, you have not yet completed the follow-up survey. Please use the following link to access the survey [LINK]/we have enclosed another copy of the survey]. When you access the survey, please enter the following user code [INSERT USER CODE]. This allows us to link your follow-up responses to your onsite responses.

We hope you will complete the survey at your earliest convenience. You have been randomly chosen from a sample of visitors to Alaska public lands, and your input is very valuable to us. As participation is voluntary, you can withdraw at any time, but we greatly appreciate your time in filling out this questionnaire. Your name and address will not be associated with any of your responses and will remain strictly confidential. After the survey is completed the list of names for the sample will be destroyed so that individual names can never be connected to the results.

Completing the survey implies your consent to participate. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Peter Fix at (907) 474-6926 or pjfix@alaska.edu.. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact the UAF Office of Research Integrity at 474-7800 (Fairbanks area) or 1-866-876-7800 (toll-free outside the Fairbanks area) or uaf-irb@alaska.edu.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact Peter Fix by phone at (907) 474-6926, or by email at pjfix@alaska.edu.

Sincerely,

Peter Fix

Principal Investigator

University of Alaska-Fairbanks

Appendix C: Non-Response Log Sheet (Observed Information and Non-Response Questions)

	REFUSALS - OBSERVED:							IF REFUSED, ASK:			Interviewer Comments
	Location	Time	Weather	Group size/or tour	Children (approximately 12 or younger) present ? (yes/no)	Activity	[IF NOT OBSERVED, ASK]: What means of transportation did you use to arrive at this site?	Where do you live? (If US, probe for State)	Have you visited [Alaska/this area] before?	How would you rate your travel experience arriving at [INSERT NAME OF SITE/AREA] -- Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor or Very Poor?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

1 http://volpe-public-lands.s3-website-us-east1.amazonaws.com/flma_lrtp_cvts/documents/Guidance_FLMA_CVTSproject.pdf

1