Form CFI 211 CFI 211 NRCS FRPP questionnaire

USDA NRCS Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program

USDA NRCS Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program

Customer Satisfaction Survey

FINAL VERSION

Introduction

We ask on behalf of the NRCS for your participation in a survey that asks about your satisfaction with the assistance and services it provides.

This survey concerns the Farm and Ranch Lands Protections Program. Funds from the Program were used to purchase the development rights on your farm or ranch. You may be more familiar with the term ‘easement’ instead of ‘development rights’.

This survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. This survey is authorized by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Control No. 1090-0007.

Background (Landowner Questions)

Q1. Are you the individual who sold the property’s development rights?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q2. When you sold your development rights to the property did you receive an offer to purchase or option to buy the land for development within one year of closing on the easement?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q3. Is your parcel under the easement next to other protected agricultural lands?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q4. Is your parcel under easement within a ½ mile of a public sewer or water line?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q5. How many total acres are in the easement?

Q6. How many acres of the easement are in production (including Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) or Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP))?

Q7. Do you farm or ranch at least part of the easement?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q8. Does another operator farm all or at least part of the easement?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q9. Were your gross sales more than $100,000 in 2008?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q10. Which of the following was the primary purpose the easement payments were used?

1. Paying off mortgages or loans on agricultural land

2. Spending on some other aspect of you agricultural business interests, such as buying more ag land, purchasing farm equipment or improving farm buildings.

3. Meeting personal or household needs such as for education, home improvements, or investment in stocks

4. Money spent on at least one aspect of owner’s agricultural business interests

5. All or a combination of the above

6. Other (Specify)

Q11. Is your parcel located in an area with adequate fertilizer dealers?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q12. Is your parcel located in an area with adequate ag chemical dealers?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q13. Is your parcel located in an area with adequate farm implement dealers?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q14. Is your parcel located in an area with adequate farm animal veterinarians?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q15. Is your parcel located in an area with adequate agricultural laborers?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q16. Is your parcel located in an area with adequate agricultural marketing opportunities? (E.g. Direct sales to customers)

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q17. Does your parcel provide goods and services to the local community at any of the following? (Select all that apply.)

1. Direct sales from your parcel (E.g. from a stand or pick-your own opportunity located on the parcel, or other direct sales on your parcel such as the direct sales of hay, straw, corn and grain)

2. At a farmer’s market

3. At a grocery store or other local outlet

4. None of the above

Q18. Which of the following types of conservation practices are being applied to the land protected under the easement? (Select all that apply)

1. Practices to reduce erosion (E.g. reduced tillage, grass waterways)

2. Practices to improve water quality (E.g. filter strips, roof gutters, manure storage, nutrient or pest management)

3. Practices to improve wildlife habitat (E.g. grass or tree plantings)

4. Practices to improve livestock grazing (E.g. fencing, watering facilities, pasture plantings)

5. Practices to improve water conservation (E.g. irrigation water management)

6. Practices to improve air quality (E.g. reduced tillage, methane digester, windbreaks)

7. Other (Specify)

Q19. Have you applied any of the above listed types of conservation measures within the past year?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q19.1 Do you have a conservation plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q19.2 What percent of your conservation plan is implemented?

1. 0%

2. 1% - 24%

3. 25% -49%

4. 50% - 74%

5. 75% - 99%

6. 100%

Q20. How many times did the holder of the easement monitor your land in the past year?

1. None

2. One

3. Two

4. Three or more

5. Don’t know

Q21. Do you believe that you made the right decision in selling your development rights to your land?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Q22. Would you recommend to other landowners that they sell the development rights to the agricultural land they own?

1. Yes, definitely would recommend

2. Probably would, but with some reservations

3. No, would not recommend

4. Don’t Know

Communication (Entity and landowner)

Think about the communications from NRCS regarding the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. Please rate the following on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is Poor and 10 is Excellent.

If a particular question does not apply to you, please select N/A.

Q23. Clarity of communications about the details and benefits of the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program

Q24. Communicating deadlines for program applications

Q25. Ease of accessing Request for Proposal information

Q26. How did you hear about (or how do you get information about) the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program?

Application

Think about the application process for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. Please rate the following on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is Poor and 10 is Excellent.

If a particular question does not apply to you, please select N/A.

Q27. Timeliness of acknowledging submission of application

Q28. Timeliness of a final decision on the parcels selected for funding

Q29. Timeliness of reviewing the necessary documents (e.g. title and deed)

Q30. Timeliness of appraisal review

Q31. Did you need an extension of the cooperative agreement to allow for enough time to close?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

(IF Q31 = YES ASK Q32 OTHERWISE SKIP TO INTRO BEFORE Q33)

Q32. Were you able to get the extension?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Cooperative Agreement

Think about the cooperative agreement process for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. Please rate the following on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is Poor and 10 is Excellent.

If this particular question does not apply to you, please select N/A.

Q33. Effort by NRCS to develop the cooperative agreement in a timely manner

Q34. Cooperative agreement clearly defining the easement type, terms and conditions

Q35. Cooperative agreement clearly defining the management and enforcement responsibilities of the entity and NRCS

Q36. Enforcement of the terms of the agreement by NRCS

Reimbursement

Q37. Think about the reimbursement process for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.

Please rate the timeliness of reimbursement on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is Poor and 10 is Excellent.

If you represent a cooperating entity that did not receive the reimbursement for an acquisition and this particular question does not apply to you, please select N/A.

ACSI Benchmark Questions (entity and landowner)

Now we are going to ask you to please consider your experiences with the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in answering the following.

Q38. First, please consider all your experiences to date the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program. Using a 10-point scale on which “1” means “Very dissatisfied” and “10” means “Very satisfied,” how satisfied are you with the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program?

Q39. To what extent has the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program fallen short of or met your expectations? Please use a 10-point scale on which "1" now means "Falls short of your expectations" and "10" means "Exceeds your expectations."

Q40. Now think about what an ideal program that protects farm and ranch lands by acquiring conservation easements would be like.

How well do you think the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program compares with that ideal? Please use a 10-point scale on which "1" means "Not very close to the ideal" and "10" means "Very close to the ideal."

Outcomes

Q41. If asked, would you recommend the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program to other landowners?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Don’t Know

Closing

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) would like to thank you for your time and participation today. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

P age 6 of 6 2/3/2021