Marine Recreational Information Program Survey

Q uanTech

Q uantitative Technologies for Research and Analysis

Name

Street / PO Box

City, St Zip Date

Dear Mr. or Ms./Last Name,

A few days from now, you will receive in the mail a request to participate in an important research project being conducted by QuanTech, a survey research firm, for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Service.

The study aims to measure the value of recreational fishing in Massachusetts marine waters to holders of a Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit like yourself.

I am writing in advance because we have found that many people like to know ahead of time that they will be contacted. The study is an important one that will help Government agencies to better measure the economic value of saltwater fishing in Massachusetts.

Thank you for your time and consideration. It’s only with the generous help of permit holders like you that this study can be successful.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Diodati, Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

David C. Cox, President

QuanTech, Inc.

Scott R. Steinback, Economist

NOAA Fis

Name

Street / PO Box

City, St Zip

Date

Dear Mr. or Ms./Last Name,

We are writing to ask your help in a study being conducted for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Service. The study is part of an effort to measure the economic value of recreational fishing in Massachusetts marine waters.

We understand that you recently purchased a 2012 Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit. We are contacting a random sample of recent permit purchasers to determine the monetary value they place on their permit by offering them a cash payment to relinquish their right to fish in Massachusetts marine waters for the remainder of the year. Data from this sample of permit holders will provide the most direct measurement possible of the value anglers place on being able to go saltwater recreational fishing.

The enclosed check in the amount of $____ is yours to cash if you fill out and return the enclosed one-page questionnaire and your 2012 Massachusetts saltwater fishing permit to us in the return envelope provided. If you accept our offer by cashing your check and mailing us the questionnaire and your 2012 fishing permit, your permit will be invalidated by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. You will then be unable to obtain another one for the remainder of 2012. This means that you will be giving up your right to fish in Massachusetts marine waters until 2013.

If you decide to decline our cash offer and keep your 2012 Massachusetts saltwater fishing permit (so that you can fish in Massachusetts marine waters during the rest of 2012), we ask that you please complete and return the one-page questionnaire along with the check. Please consider this offer carefully. Your check will expire on _______ so we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Your acceptance or rejection of our cash offer will in no way affect your ability to obtain a fishing permit in 2013. All of your responses to the questionnaire will be kept strictly confidential, as required by section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens and NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, Confidentiality of Fisheries Statistics, and will not be released for public use except in aggregate statistical form without identification as to its source.

Thank you very much for your help with this important study. If by some chance we made a mistake and you have not purchased a 2012 Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit, please return the blank questionnaire in the envelope provided. If you have any questions or concerns please call Daemian Schreiber at 800-229-5220 ext 7831 or send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,

Name

Street / PO Box

City, St Zip Date

Dear First/Last Name,

I am writing to ask your help in a study of holders of a Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit being conducted for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Service. The study is part of an effort to measure the economic value of recreational fishing in Massachusetts marine waters.

I understand that you recently purchased a 2012 Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing permit. We are contacting a random sample of recent permit purchasers to determine the monetary value they place on their permit. The enclosed questionnaire should only take a few minutes to fill out. Even if you haven’t fished in Massachusetts marine waters yet this year, your responses are still important.

Data from this sample of permit holders will provide the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Service with important information on the value anglers like you place on being able to go saltwater recreational fishing. The results will shed light on the economic importance of saltwater recreational fishing, but will not be used to change permit pricing. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has no plans to change the fee for the recreational saltwater fishing permit.

Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, as required by section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens and NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, Confidentiality of Fisheries Statistics, and will not be released for public use except in aggregate statistical form without identification as to its source. When you return your questionnaire to us, your responses will be combined with the information sent to us by other permit holders asked to participate in this research study. Results will be released only as summaries in which no individual responses can be identified. If by some chance we made a mistake and you did not purchase a 2012 permit, please return the blank questionnaire in the enclosed stamped envelope.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Daemian Schreiber at 800-229-5220 ext 7831 or send an email to [email protected].

Thank you for your assistance and we look forward to receiving your questionnaire.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Diodati, Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

David C. Cox, President

QuanTech, Inc.

Scott R. Steinback, Economist, NOAA Fisheries

Name

Street / PO Box

City, St Zip Date

Dear First/Last Name,

Last week we sent you a questionnaire and a check for $_____ as a cash offer to purchase your 2012 Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Permit. If you have already made your decision and returned the questionnaire along with your permit or the check, please accept our sincere thanks for participating in this research study.

If you are still debating the offer, please be aware that your check can only be cashed until {enter date}. We understand that this may be a difficult decision for you and we sincerely appreciate your careful consideration of this offer. If you decide to accept our offer, please send us your completed questionnaire and your 2012 Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Permit. If you decide to decline the offer, please return the check and your completed questionnaire at your earliest possible convenience.

If you did not receive a questionnaire or check, or if they were misplaced, please call Daemian Schreiber at 800-229-5220 ext 7831 or send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,

Paul J. Diodati, Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

David C. Cox, President

Quantech, Inc.

Scott R. Steinback, Economist

NOAA Fisheries

Name

Street / PO Box

City, St Zip Date

Last week we mailed you a short questionnaire asking about your recent purchase of the 2012 Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit and how often you go fishing in Massachusetts marine waters.

If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire to us, please accept our sincere thanks. If not, please do so in the next few days. The questionnaire was only sent to a small sample of Massachusetts saltwater fishing permit holders, so your responses are critical to the success of the study. Even if you haven’t fished yet this year, your responses are still important.

If you did not receive a questionnaire, or if it was misplaced, please call Daemian Schreiber at 800-229-5220 ext 7831 or send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,

Paul J. Diodati, Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

David C. Cox, President

Quantech, Inc.

Scott R. Steinback, Economist

NOAA Fisheries

Name

Street / PO Box

City, St Zip Date

Dear First/Last Name,

A few weeks ago, we mailed you a short questionnaire asking about your recent purchase of the 2012 Massachusetts Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit and how often you go fishing in Massachusetts marine waters. To the best of our knowledge, it has not yet been returned.

The data received from anglers who have already responded indicate a range of values placed on recreational saltwater fishing. We think the study will be very useful to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Service. We are writing again because of the importance of your response in getting accurate results. It is only by hearing from nearly everyone in the sample that we can be sure the results are truly representative. Even if you haven’t fished yet this year, your responses are still important.

A comment on our survey procedures. An ID number is printed on the questionnaire so we can check your name off the list when it’s returned. The list of names will be destroyed at the end of the survey so that individual names can’t be connected to the results in any way. Protecting the confidentiality of people’s answers is very important to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and NOAA Fisheries Service.

We have included a second copy of the questionnaire for your convenience. If you have any questions please call Daemian Schreiber at 800-229-5220 ext 7831 or send an email to [email protected].

Thank you for your cooperation, and we hope to receive your questionnaire in the near future.

Sincerely,

Paul J. Diodati, Director

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

David C. Cox, President

QuanTech, Inc.

Scott R. Steinback, Economist

NOAA Fisheries