Wildfire Barriers Survey 2nd Cover letter

Month XX, 2012

Warner College of Natural Resources
Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
Fort Collins, CO 80523
970-491-2360
Main office: 970-491-6591
Fax: 970-491-2255
email: [email protected]

Dear <>,
About three weeks ago, on behalf of the US Forest Service and Colorado State University, we sent a letter
inviting you to answer an Internet survey seeking your opinions regarding steps you might take to reduce the
potential impacts of wildland fire around your home. To the best of our knowledge, it has not yet been
completed. If you have completed the survey in the last few days, please accept our sincere thanks.
We are writing to you again because every survey is very important to the results of this study. You are one
of a small number of Colorado’s wildland-urban interface residents chosen through a random sampling
process to participate in this study. For the results to truly represent the opinions of all of Colorado’s
wildland-urban interface residents, it is very important that every survey be completed and mailed back to
us. Without your help, the conclusions that we draw from the surveys that have already been returned may
be wrong. Even if you know little about wildland fire, your opinions are important and should be
considered.
We would like to do everything we can to make it easy and enjoyable for you to participate in the study.
We hope that you will fill out the questionnaire soon and that you will be able to complete the
questionnaire on the Internet. Doing that is easy: just enter this web page address in your Internet browser,
and then type in your access code to begin the questionnaire.
<>
<>
We have also included a paper copy of the questionnaire for those who are unable or do not wish to
complete it on the Internet. The questionnaire should only take about 30 minutes to complete and your
responses are voluntary. We want to assure you that we make every effort to uphold the confidentiality of
your answers. Once we have finished conducting the survey, we will delete your name and contact information
from our files. In addition, when we write about this study, we will write about the combined information we
have gathered. No individual’s answers will ever be identified.
If you have any questions about this survey, please call Dr. Jerry Vaske, the study director, by telephone at
970-491-2360 or by email at [email protected]. If you have any questions about your rights
as a volunteer in this research, contact Janell Barker, Human Research Administrator, at 970-491-1655.
This research can only be successful with the generous help of people like you.
Many Thanks,

Jerry J. Vaske, Ph.D.