US ACE Justification of Beaver Lake Boater Survey

Justification for Submission under Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance (OMB Control Number 0596-0236)

U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service Office of Regulatory and Management Services

Forest Service Tracking Number: (for internal use only) 2016 – 10 – US ACE

			Date Submitted to Forest Service/USDA:	9/26/2016
1.	IC Title:	Beaver Lake Boater Survey
2.	Bureau/Office:	US Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District



3.

Abstract: (not to exceed 150 words) The purpose of this survey is to gather information that will support a carrying capacity study for Beaver Lake (AR). The survey will gather information on user experiences, perceptions, and preferences in regards to crowding and transportation safety. The contractor will collect and analyze data to determine boater’s perceptions of the resource, social conditions, and management of the lake. Results of the carrying capacity study will be used by the Corps in the update of the Beaver Lake Master Plan and Shoreline Management Plan in order to evaluate and compare the effects of alternative scenarios of development and use levels on recreation, public safety and the environment.

4.

Bureau/Office Point of Contact Information

First Name:

Dana

Last Name:

Coburn

Title:

Project Manager

Bureau/Office:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District

Street Address:

700 West Capitol Ave

City:

Little Rock

State:

AR

Zip code:

72201

Phone:

501-324-5601

Fax:

501-324-5605

Email:

[email protected]

5.

Principal Investigator (PI) Information [If different from #4]

First Name:

William

Last Name:

Davis

Title:

Principal Planner

Bureau/Office:

CDM Smith

Address:

1050 Reed Station Road, Suite D

City:

Carbondale

State:

IL

Zip code:

62902

Phone:

312-780-7855

Fax:

Email:

[email protected]

6.

Lead agency IC Clearance Officer Reviewing the IC:

First Name

Sandra

Last Name

Stroud

Title

Information Management Specialist, Army Records Management and Declassification Agency

Phone

703-428-6440

Email

[email protected]

7.

Description of Population/Potential respondents

The target population will be the general public who participate in boating recreation activities at Beaver Lake. Respondents will include residents living along the shoreline with private boat dock permits, marina slip renters, and public boat ramp users.

8.

IC Dates

(08/29/2016)

to

(12/31/2016)

9.

Type of Information Collection Instrument (Check ALL that Apply)

__Intercept

__Telephone

_X_Mail

_X_Web-based

__Focus Groups

__Comment Cards

__Other

Explain:

10. Instrument Development:

(Who assisted in content development? Statistics? Was the instrument pretested? How were improvements integrated?)

The survey methods and instruments for this study were reviewed by Project Managers and social scientists at CDM Smith, the study contractor. Questions were developed by selecting appropriate questions from the FLMA’s Compendium of Survey Questions and grouping and ordering them in an intuitive fashion. The 1995 Beaver Lake study was referenced to determine if some or all of the questions asked during that study could be asked again, so as to include an additional data point and so that trend analysis could be conducted between the two surveys.

Pre-testing and consultation were conducted with 5 volunteer participants with no specific background or training in survey research methods or analysis (i.e., representative of the general public, rather than survey experts). In particular, the individuals were asked to complete the questionnaire, and asked a series of debriefing questions after to elicit their feedback on the practical utility of the study, questionnaire/respondent burden, quality and clarity of the questionnaires and instructions, and ways to minimize respondent burden. Comments were incorporated into the final instrument.

Experts in graphic design and development of publicly distributed materials were involved in designing the cover letter to improve response rate.

11. Which of the five areas from the Compendium of Questions will be addressed in your IC? (Check all that apply). .

• X Topic Area #1: Respondent characteristics

• Topic Area #2: Traveler Information

• X Topic Area #3: Trip behaviors

• X Topic Area #4: Assessment of Visitor Experiences and Transportation-Related Facilities
  Conditions, and Services

• Topic Area #5: Economic Impact and Visitor Spending/Costs

In addition, for each question in your survey instrument (or discussion guide, comment card, etc), please indicate the Compendium Topic Area and the unique question identifier from the Compendium. If the question is not taken from the Compendium, indicate “NEW”. See the instructions for a sample table.

Survey Question Number	Compendium Topic Area	Compendium Question Identifier	Notes
1	#1 Respondent Characteristics	VHIS10	Tense was changed to present, term “boated” was revised to “boating activities” and the term “today” was removed as the context if for current or recent boating activity, not limited to a single day. This survey will be administered via the mail and it is possible that a small fraction of sampled users does not participate in on-water recreational activities at the site and the question will be used as a validation to eliminate non boaters at the study site.
2	#1 Respondent Characteristics	RES13	Modified to a two part question. Distance from the site was reduced to ¼ mile to indicate residences adjacent to USACE Fee owned land and shoreline and who could possibly currently or in the future own a private boat dock on the lake. The word “permanent” was removed to capture respondents with vacation homes located along the lake. The question was further specified to ask respondents to indicate the study zone (portion of the study site) where the residence is located.
2a	#1 Respondent Characteristics
3	#1 Respondent Characteristics	RES1	This question was slightly modified to add “permanent” before residence and specifically include the requested elements of City, State and Zip in the question. At this study site, it is possible that some respondents will own multiple homes thus more specificity was required.
4	#1 Respondent Characteristics	VHIS3	Dropped visit and replaced with “engage in boating activities on Beaver Lake”. Expanded response ranges based on responses to past boating studies.
5	#1 Respondent Characteristics	VHIS9	Removed specific site to get measure of general boating experience. This is important in understanding the respondent perceptions of boating safety.
6	#1 Respondent Characteristics	VHIS9	This question was not modified
7	#3 Trip Behaviors	TDEST7b	Added framing statement “during at typical past boating trip on Beaver Lake” and reference map used in Q2 above to select primary area for boating use.
8	#3 Trip Behaviors	TRANUSE26 B)	Added term primary before boat and dropped “on that trip by you or other persons in your party” to reflect context of previous questions. Response categories were added or deleted, as appropriate, based on the context of Beaver Lake.
9	#3 Trip Behaviors	TACT5	This question was not modified
10	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL42	Question reworded to “Is there a problem from too many boats on Beaver Lake” to be less suggestive. Then added the responses for degree of problem for as an “if yes” follow-up question..
11	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE16	This question was not modified
12	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	SAFE15	This question was not modified
13	New		How much do private docks interfere with your use of Beaver Lake? Response options are interference likert scale. The question was approved in a recently expired OMB Clearance 0710-0001. We would like to ask this question, as it was asked in the 1995 Beaver Lake study so comparisons can be made to changes in user perceptions. The intent of the question is similar to OPIN34 and OPIN35 with the subject being private docks, not other boats.
14	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL46	Omitted the word “today” to get general perceptions rather than a single day.
15	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	OPIN37	This question was not modified
16	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL40	Replaced “preference” with “expectation” and added “Please refer to your last outing on the lake when answering this question” to frame time period of the response. The question was approved in a recently expired OMB Clearance 0710-0001. We would like to use this modified question wording, as it was asked in the 1995 Beaver Lake study so comparisons can be made to changes in user perceptions.
17	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL40	This question was not modified
18	#4 Assessment of Visitor Experience	EVAL35	Term” people” was exchanged for “boats”. The five photos simulate increased concentrations of boats on Beaver Lake.
19	#1 Respondent Characteristics	GEN1	This question was not modified
20	#1 Respondent Characteristics	AGE1	This question was not modified
21	#1 Respondent Characteristics	EDU1	This question was not modified
22	#1 Respondent Characteristics	INC1	This question was not modified

12. Methodology:

(Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page).

Respondent Universe

The target population consists of approximately 4,300 names and addresses of dock owners, marina slip renters, general public users of boat ramps and launch sites (including campers) and individuals that have participated in public meetings related to the plans. Dock owners, campers and marina slip renters were exported from various permit and reservation systems. This database was developed to maintain a mailing list for the Corps Master Plan/Shoreline Management Plan update. This database is assumed to be representative of lake users.

Sampling Plan/Procedure

The database will be crossed checked for duplicate names/addresses with duplicates removed. 3,530 Individual names will be drawn as a random sample from the existing database of lake users.

Instrument Administration

The survey will be mailed to the selected households. The cover letter of the survey will offer respondents two options: complete the survey enclosed and mail back in a postage paid envelope or enter the provided link into a web browser to complete the survey online. A 3^rd-party web survey application will be used as the online survey host.

Survey responses will be compiled into a single database. Survey forms received by mail will entered into a template and added to the survey response database. The combined results will then be exported to Excel for further analysis. Survey responses will be reviewed for consistency of responses (e.g., follow correct sequence, percentages sum to 100%, etc.).

Expected Response Rate and Confidence Levels

As a conservative estimate, a response rate of about 10% will be assumed.

A margin of error of +/- 5% is anticipated.

Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

Non-response bias will be addressed based on the source of the respondent address (marina, dock holder, other public visitor) and comparison of the data collected. For dock owners and marina slip renters, the combination of Q8 and Q7 will be used to assess the amount of non-response from that group. For general public will compare zip code of respondents plus Q8 response with zip from mailing addresses. The dock permit list is a known universe maintained by USACE. The Marina slip renter list is maintained by the marina operators, but is assumed to be the entire universe. The other public list will be compared based on zip code to other sources of data to evaluate its representation of other recreational boating users at Beaver lake. Comparative sources of data will be from the USACE comment card program, pass purchases, public meeting participants, and household distribution within a 30-50 mile range of the project.

To increase response rates, a reminder mailing will be sent approximate 2 weeks after the initial mailing. This mailing include the cover page and complete survey, the same documents as the initial mailing. The survey will be kept open for 30 days following the reminder to allow time for responses.

Description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or instrument (recommended)

Pre-testing and consultation were conducted with 5 volunteer participants with no specific background or training in survey research methods or analysis (i.e., representative of the general public, rather than survey experts). In particular, the individuals were asked to complete the questionnaire, and asked a series of debriefing questions after to elicit their feedback on the practical utility of the study, questionnaire/respondent burden, quality and clarity of the questionnaires and instructions, and ways to minimize respondent burden. Time to complete the survey ranged from 5 to 9 minutes. This finding helps to validate the burden estimates. The survey does not include any complex skip patterns nor does it require the respondent to gather any data or information.

The Survey was reviewed by Margaret Petrella, Social Scientist, US Department of Transportation, Volpe Center.

CDM Smith, the contractor, followed internal quality review of the survey instrument, including external review from experts versed in survey administration who were not involved in the survey design.

13.

Total Number of Initial Contacts and Expected Number of Respondents

3,530 initial contacts with 353 expected respondents (approximately 53 of those expected to use the online survey)

14.

Estimated Time to Complete Initial Contact and Time to Complete Instrument

Initial Contact: 30 sec (.0083) (time to read cover page/letter). Survey 10 minutes (.166) (including time to read instructions)

15.

Total Burden Hours

Contacts

Respondents

-----------------

Total

Initial Contacts* 29 hours

Survey Response** 59 hours

Total 88 hours

* Initial Contact = 3,530 x 1 per respondent x 0.0083 min per response

** Survey Response = 353 x 1 per respondent x 10 min per response

16. Reporting Plan:

The results of the survey will be compiled into a report that will be made available to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The report will make comparisons to the 1995 US Army Corps of Engineer report A Study of Boater Recreation on Beaver Lake, Arkansas to indicate possible changes to user expectations and preferences. Presentations of the study will be made to the Army Corps as well. Aggregate results may be published in a peer-reviewed scientific publication discussing the methods, results, and conclusions, and recognizing the support given by the Army Corps.

17. Justification, Purpose, and Use:
IC Justification and Purpose	The Little Rock District of the US Army Corps of Engineers’ update of the Beaver Lake (AR) Master Plan and Shoreline Management Plan requires an assessment of the carrying capacity of the lake and an understanding of how future management activities may impact the boating density. Social carrying capacity is an important component to the study, which defines lake user’s expectations, perceptions and preferences. Boater’s opinions regarding boating density, safety, conflicts, and current lake management are an integral part of the carrying capacity study. Beaver Lake is located generally to the east of the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area. Within this MSA is Bentonville, which is the corporate headquarters to Walmart. The MSA is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, with population growth from 2000 to 2010 at a staggering 33 percent, 12th highest in the nation at that time. Growth will likely continue in this fashion, as Bentonville alone is projected to grow by another 50% by 2030. With the rapid growth in the surrounding communities, management of the waters and lands around Beaver Lake is especially critical to ensure sustainable recreation opportunities and the quality experience desired by visitors to the Lake. Social impacts from overuse of the resource can include crowding among recreationists, conflict between recreationists, increases in accidents, and increases in depreciative behaviors. In particular, the survey instrument in this study is designed to collect information about visitors’ perceptions, experiences, and expectations, with respect to recreation conditions and management, including transportation crowding and safety, and visitor experience quality. The information collection is also designed to help identify recreation issues experienced by visitors, and assess visitors’ opinions about potential management.
IC Goals	The goals of the survey are to: Determine the general characteristics of lake users. Determine the impact of current lake usage on the quality of the recreational experience, public safety, and the natural ecology of the lake. Determine boaters’ perspectives on the social conditions of the lake, and on current resource management of the lake.
Utility to Managers	Results of the survey will provide lake resource managers with information on boating densities by zone, public safety, social satisfaction with use of the lake, public preferences on their experience at the lake, environmental concerns, and current resource management. This information will provide guidance on future management actions.
How will the results of the IC be analyzed and used?	Analysis will be conducted using Excel’s Data Analysis Tool box and the descriptive statistic reporting options in the 3rd party web survey application. All data will be stored in electronic and hardcopy, and archived according to established data management procedures required by the Federal Government. The project manager will verify the quality of questionnaire electronic data entry. Upon study completion, the survey data collected in this study will be available from the U.S. Army Corps in a suitable electronic format, along with proper documentation.
How will the data be tabulated? What Statistical Techniques will be used to generalize the results to the entire customer population? How will limitations on use of data be handled? If the survey results in a lower than anticipated response rate, how will you address this when reporting the results? (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page). The hard copy (paper) survey responses and the online survey responses will be merged into a single database. Thus, all responses will be combined into a single database using the website. Once the survey period is closed and responses are loaded to the website, data summaries and characterization reports will be generated using the options available in 3rd party web survey application. These include standard reports that provide statistics and breakdowns for each question, reports that compare individual responses to the rest of the data, cross-tabulation, and question comparisons. Once all the standard reports are generated, survey responses will be exported from 3rd party web survey application to an Excel file for further analysis. Based on the projected sample size there will be 95% confidence that the sample estimates will be accurate. The range of statistical tests that will be conducted with the data in this study include two-tailed independent samples t-test, chi-square tests of independence, and simple linear and multivariate regression, at the .05 alpha-level. This level of accuracy and statistical power is generally accepted as sufficient in peer-reviewed social science quantitative study findings. Thus, the proposed sample size will be adequate for bi-variate comparisons. Key estimates from the data will be descriptive in nature, primarily measures of central tendency (mean and median), dispersion (standard deviation), and frequency distributions. Some tests for differences in means and proportions by various sub-groups are expected.
Is this survey intended to measure a Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measure? If so, please include an excerpt from the appropriate document. (Use as much space as needed; if necessary include additional explanation on separate page). This IC is NOT intended to measure GPRA performance.

Checklist for Submitting a Request to Use USDA-Forest Service Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance

• All questions in the survey instrument are within the scope of one of the USDA-Forest Service Generic Clearance topic areas (see Compendium of Questions).



• The approval package is being submitted to the Forest Service Office of Regulatory and Management Services at least 45 days prior to the first day the PI wishes to administer the IC to the public.



• [IF SURVEY] A qualified statistician has reviewed and approved your request.



• Your bureau/office Information Collection Clearance Officer has reviewed and approved the approval package.

• When you forward the approval package to USDA Forest Service, copy the FLMA Generic Clearance Coordinator



The approval package includes:

• A completed Justification

•  A signed Certification Form

• A copy of the survey instrument

• Other supporting materials, such as:

• Cover letters to accompany mail-back questionnaires

• Introductory scripts for initial contact of respondents

• Necessary Paperwork Reduction Act compliance language

• Follow-up letters/reminders sent to respondents



The survey methodology presented in the Justification includes a specific description of:

• The respondent universe

• The sampling plan and all sampling procedures, including how respondents will be selected

• How the instrument will be administered

• Expected response rate and confidence levels

•  Strategies for dealing with potential non-response bias

• A description of any pre-testing and peer review of the methods and/or the instrument is highly recommended.



• The burden hours reported in the Justification include the number of burden hours associated with the initial contact of all individuals in the sample (i.e., including refusals), if applicable, and the number of burden hours associated with individuals expected to complete the survey instrument.

• The package is properly formatted (Word) and submitted to the Office of Regulatory and Management Services electronically. 

Certification Form for Submission Under OMB Control Number 0596-0236

This form should only be used if you are submitting a collection of information for approval under the USDA-Forest Service Federal Lands Transportation Generic Clearance.

If the collection does not satisfy the requirements of the Generic Clearance, you should follow the regular PRA clearance procedures described in 5 CFR 1320.

Bureau/Office U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Beaver Lake Boater Survey
Estimated Number Contacts Respondents			Time per Response 3,530 Initial Contacts 353 Survey Respondents
			Total Burden Hours Initial Contacts* 29 hours Survey Response** 59 hours Total 88 hours * Initial Contact = 3,530 x 1 per respondent x 0.0083 min per response ** Survey Response = 353 x 1 per respondent x 10 min (.166) per response
Bureau/Office Contact (who can best answer questions about content of the submission):
Name	Dana Coburn Meredith Bridgers			Phone	501-324-5601 703-428-8458
Certification: The collection of information requested by this submission meets the requirements of OMB control number 0596-0236
Bureau/Office Qualified Statistician Dr Wen-Huei Chang, PhD						DATE 08-04-2016
Bureau/Office Information Collection Clearance Officer Sandra Stroud,						DATE 08-04-2016
Forest Service, Office of Regulatory and Management Services Charlene Parker, OCIO for FS						DATE 09/30/2016

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