3_FHWAR_screener_letter2 w-Notices

OMB Control No. 1018-0088

Expires ##/##/####

[Barcode]

[Address]

[City], [State] [Zip]

[Date]

Dear [FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME],

Recently, we’ve been trying to contact you about an important national study. On behalf of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, we invite you to take part in a short 10-minute survey about your household’s participation in outdoor recreation.

We would like to hear from people all across the nation, regardless of if they participate in outdoor activities or not. Results from this study will be used to measure various things such as the economic impacts of outdoor recreation to state and national economies and more.

This study is being carried out by NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent, nonprofit research institution that has been delivering reliable data and analysis for nearly 80 years. We are not selling anything, and we are not affiliated with any political party.

This short survey lasts approximately 10 minutes and as a thank you, we will send you [$] once it’s completed.

To participate, please visit us at xxxxxx@norc.org and enter your PIN [xxxxxx], or call us toll free at xxx-xxx-xxxx to participate over the phone or request a paper copy of the survey.

This survey is only open until (date). We hope you’ll participate today!

Sincerely,

Kate Bachtell, Project Director

National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, & Wildlife-Associated Recreation

Want more information?

Call us: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Email us: fhwarinfo@norc.org

Visit us online: xxxxxxxx@norc.com

Read our FAQs on the back of this letter!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is funding this research?

Funding for this project comes from a Multistate Conservation Grant jointly administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

What is this study about?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has sponsored national surveys of fishing and hunting at about five-year intervals since 1955. This survey, the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (FHWAR), is authorized by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000. This study helps carry out the responsibility to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife for the benefit of the American people.

Why should I participate?

Whether you’re an avid fisher/hunter/wildlife-watcher, or never participate in these activities, we want to know! By taking part in this study you can help make sure we collect the most complete and accurate data possible on fishing, hunting, and wildlife-associated activities across the United States. Study results are used by non-profits, news organizations, and other state and federal agencies to better understand current participation in outdoor recreation as well as to project the community’s needs of the future.

Why me? Can’t you just select someone else?

Through a scientific sampling process, your household was chosen to represent 2,500 other households similar to yours. Because of this, you can’t be replaced. The success of the study depends on voluntary participation from folks just like you.

Do I have to participate?

Participation is voluntary, and if you decide to take part in the study you may choose to skip any question(s) you do not want to answer or stop participating at any time.

How do I know this is legitimate?

There are several ways to check the legitimacy of this study. Learn more about:

• NORC at the University of Chicago: www.norc.org

• Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA): www.fishwildlife.org

• US Fish and Wildlife Service: www.fws.org

• Results from the last FHWAR survey: www.census.gov/programs-surveys/fhwar.html

Who do I contact about my rights as a respondent?

If you have any questions regarding your rights as a study participant, you may call the NORC IRB Manager, toll-free, at 866-309-0542.

How is my privacy protected?

Your answers will always be kept private, and none of the information that you provide will be used for any purpose other than research. Your name and any information that could identify you will never be used. Your responses will be combined with others and reported in statistic form.

NOTICES

PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 669 et seq., as amended; 16 U.S.C. 777 et seq., as amended; 16 U.S.C. 742d-f; Public Law 106-408.

Purpose: This information will be used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to effectively administer fish and wildlife restoration grant programs and by States to develop project proposals and conservation programs.

Routine Uses: The information collected may be shared in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the routine uses listed in the Department of Interior System of Records Notices INTERIOR/ FWS-27, Correspondence Control System - 73 FR 31877 (June 4, 2008).

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary; if not collected, FWS would likely experience difficulty in effectively carrying out its mission.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collects information necessary to effectively administer fish and wildlife restoration grant programs and helps states develop project proposals and conservation programs, and to respond to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974. Information requested in this collection is purely voluntary. 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 currently valid OMB control number. OMB has approved this collection of information and assigned Control No. 1018-0088.

ESTIMATED BURDEN STATEMENT

We estimate public reporting for this collection of information to vary from 9 minutes to 22 minutes, depending on activity, including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of the form to the Service Information Clearance Officer, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, or via email at Info_Coll@fws.gov. Please do not send your completed form to this address.