Individual and Household_NWOS Short Form and Science Modules Telephone Survey

National Woodland Owner Survey

Individual and Household_NWOS Short Form and Science Modules Telephone Survey

OMB: 0596-0078

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NWOS Telephone Survey Guide

OMB # 0596-0078

Expiration date: to be updated

INTERVIEWER INTRODUCTION

Interviewer text:

Hello, this is <NAME> calling on behalf of the <STATE> Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. We are conducting the National Woodland Owner Survey for the U.S. Forest Service and you were selected to participate. Several weeks ago you were mailed a copy of this survey. We have not received it and were hoping to collect the data by telephone today. Your cooperation is extremely important to the accuracy of the survey and your individual report will be kept confidential (under Title 7 of the U.S. Code and CIPSEA (Public Law 107-347)). Response is voluntary.

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the information collection has a currently valid OMB Control Number. The approved OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0596-0078. Without this approval, we could not conduct this survey. Public reporting for this information collection is estimated to be approximately 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 information collection. All responses to this information collection are voluntary. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the U.S.D.A. Forest Service email address SM.FS.InfoCollect@usda.gov and include the OMB Control Number in the subject line.

The rest of the interview time is allotted to going through the survey and recording landowner’s answers. These interviews will a subset of the National Woodland Owner Survey Short Form (below), with the interviewer reading the questions and the landowner responding. Interviews will not go beyond the allotted time (15 minutes).

How many total acres of land do you currently own in <STATE>? ______acres
Wooded land covers XX% of the <REGION>. Wooded land includes:

Timberland, forests, and woodlands
Land at least 1 acre in size, 120 feet wide, and has at least 10% forest cover  Land at least 1 acre in size, where trees were harvested and will grow again Wooded land does not include:
Christmas tree farms, orchards, or nurseries
Land that is mowed for lawn

How many acres of wooded land do you currently own in <STATE>? ______acres

Which category below best describes your ownership?

Select only one.

Individual
Joint, with husband or wife
Joint, such as with other family members or friends
Family partnership or family LLC or LLP
Family trust or estate
Corporation or business (for-profit)
Corporation or business (non-profit)
Other (please specify):________________________________

How many people are a part of this ownership, including you? ____owners
Do you currently own more than one separate, unconnected property with wooded land in STATE? __Yes __No
Is your home (primary residence) on or within a mile of any of your wooded land in STATE?

__Yes __No __Not Applicable

Do you have a vacation home or cabin on or within a mile of any of your wooded land in STATE? __Yes __No __Not Applicable
Do you own any land within a mile of any of your wooded land in STATE that is farmed or ranched? For the purpose of this survey, a farm or ranch is a place where, in most years, $1,000 or more is earned from the sale of crops (other than forest products) or animals.

__Yes __No __Not Applicable

How important are the following as reasons for why you currently own your wooded land in [STATE]? If you own one property, check one box for each item.

If you own more than one property in [STATE], consider them all and check one or more boxes for each item.


To enjoy beauty or scenery
To protect nature or biological diversity
To protect water resources
To protect or improve wildlife habitat
For land investment
For privacy
To raise my family
To pass land on to my children or other heirs
For cultural/spiritual reasons
For firewood
For timber products, such as logs or pulpwood
For nontimber forest products, such as berries or maple syrup
For grazing/shade animals
For hunting
For recreation, other than hunting
Other
(Please specify):

a. How did you get your wooded land in [STATE]? Check all that apply.

__Purchased

__Inherited

__Received as gift

__Other (please specify):___________________

b. IN what year did you, personally, first take ownership of your wooded land in [STATE]?

______Year

Have you ever sold or given away any of your wooded land in [STATE]? __Yes __No
Who makes the management decisions, such as whether or not to harvest trees, for your wooded land in [STATE]?

Check all that apply.

__Me

__My husband or wife

__My children

__My parents

__Another family member

__My business partner

__My land manager or forester

__Other (please specify):___________________

A management or stewardship plan may be written in order to help the landowner meet their goals for their wooded land.
1. How familiar are you with these types of plans?

Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all

Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar

__ __ __ __ __

Do you have a written management or stewardship plan for any of your wooded land in <STATE>? __Yes __ No __Don’t know

If yes, please answer c.

If no or don’t know, skip to question 14.

Have you taken actions to implement it?

__Yes __ No __ Don't know

Have trees ever been cut or removed from any of the wooded land that you own in <STATE> since you have owned it?

__Yes __No

If yes, please answer a, b and c.

If no, skip to question 15.

What types of products were harvested? Check all that apply.

__Firewood, for sale

__Firewood, for personal use

__Logs, for sale

__Logs, for personal use

__Wood chips or pulpwood, for sale

__Wood chips or pulpwood, for personal use

__Other

(please specify):___________________

Which of the following have occurred on your wooded land in <STATE> in the past 5 years? Check all that apply.

__Cut and/or removed trees for sale

__Cut and/or removed trees for own use

__Planted trees

__Collected nontimber forest products, such as berries or ginseng

__Reduced fire hazard

__Controlled burn/prescribed fire

__Eliminated or reduced invasive plants

__Eliminated or reduced unwanted insects or diseases

__Road construction or maintenance

__Trail construction or maintenance

__Improved wildlife habitat

__Livestock grazing

__Other (please specify):______________________________

16. Which of the following will likely occur on your wooded land in <STATE> in the next 5 years?

Check all that apply

__Cut and/or remove trees for sale

__Cut and/or remove trees for own use

__Plant trees

__Collect nontimber forest products, such as berries and ginseng

__Reduce fire hazard

__Controlled burn/prescribed fire

__Eliminate or reduce invasive plants

__Eliminate or reduce unwanted insects or diseases

__Road construction or maintenance

__Trail construction or maintenance

__Improve wildlife habitat

__Livestock grazing

__Other (please specify):_________________________________

To encourage good woodland management, groups have created green certification programs to recognize landowners who comply with the groups’ standards. Examples include Tree Farm, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). a. How familiar are you with green certification?

Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all

Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar

__ __ __ __ __

Is any of your wooded land in <STATE> currently green certified?

__Yes __No __Don’t know

Some state and local governments have programs that defer, reduce, or eliminate property taxes for wooded land. In <STATE>, there are the Tree Growth Tax Law and Open Space Tax Law programs. a. How familiar are you with these programs?

Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all

Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar

__ __ __ __ __

Is any of your wooded land in <STATE> currently enrolled in one of these programs or a similar one?

__Yes __No __Don’t know

Development rights for land can be sold or voluntarily given away. This is usually in the form of a conservation easement.

How familiar are you with this concept?

Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all

Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar

__ __ __ __ __

Have development rights been sold or voluntarily given away on any of your wooded land in <STATE> by either you or a previous owner?

__Yes __No __Don’t know

If No or Don’t know, how likely are you to do so in the next 5 years?

Extremely Extremely Not

Likely Likely Undecided Unlikely Unlikely Applicable

__ __ __ __ __ __

Cost-share programs provide landowners with money to help them establish or otherwise manage their wooded land. Examples include the Conservation Reserve Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and various state funded programs. a. How familiar are you with this cost-share programs?

Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all

Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar

__ __ __ __ __

In the past 5 years, have you used a cost-share program to help you establish or manage your wooded land in <STATE>?

__Yes __No __Don’t know

Have you leased your wooded land in [STATE] (other than for logging)?

__Yes __No

If yes, please answer a and b.

If no, skip to question 22.

What leasing activities did they use it for?

Check all that apply.

__Logging

__Hunting

__Recreation (other than hunting)

__To graze/pasture livestock

__Solar/wind

__Other (please specify):_________________

In efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, public programs and private markets have been created that pay owners of wooded land for capturing or sequestering carbon. a. How familiar are you with this cost-share programs?

Extremely Moderately Somewhat Slightly Not at all

Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar Familiar

__ __ __ __ __

Is any of your wooded land in <STATE> currently enrolled in one of these carbon capture programs or markets?

__Yes __No __Don’t know

a. Who, with your permission, has hunted, hiked, or otherwise recreated on your wooded land in [STATE] in the past 5 years? Check all that apply.

__Me and/or my husband or wife

__My children

__Other family members

__Friends

__Neighbors

__The general public for free

__The general public for a fee

__The general public as part of an access program

__Other(please specify)

24. b. How did you/they recreate if at all?

Check all that apply.

__Hunting

__Fishing

__Hiking/walking

__Bicycling

__Nature viewing

__Birding

__Camping

__Horseback riding

__Skiing or snowshoeing

__Off-road vehicles, such as ATVs or snowmobiles

__Other (please specify):_________________________

What activity, if any, is posted to restrict access and/or use by the general public on any of your wooded land in [STATE]?

__Trespassing

__Hunting

__Motorized vehicles

__Other (please specify)

Please indicate your level of concern about each of the following topics for your wooded land in

<STATE>.

If you own one property, check one box for each item.

If you own more than one property in [STATE], consider them all and check one or more boxes for each item.


Air pollution
Climate change
Damage from animals
Development of nearby lands
Drought or lack of water
Damage or noise from off-road vehicles
Government regulation
High property taxes
Invasive plants
Keeping land intact for future generations
Misuse of forested land, such as vandalism or dumping
Trespassing or poaching
Unwanted insects or diseases
Water pollution
Wildfire
Wind or ice storms
Weak timber markets