1028-New SS-A Waterfowl NAWMP 2016-05-30

Supporting Statement A

Assessing public views of waterfowl-related topics to inform the North American Waterfowl Management Plan

OMB Control Number 1028-NEW

Terms of Clearance: None.

Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection.

The collection is being conducted to inform future revisions of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), an international agreement signed by the United States Secretary of the Interior, the Canadian Minister of the Environment, and the Mexican Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources. NAWMP lays out a strategy to restore waterfowl populations through habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement. The 2012 revised goals of NAWMP focused for the first time on people as well as waterfowl and their habitats. Goal 3 in the plan is “growing numbers of waterfowl hunters, other conservationists, and citizens who enjoy and actively support waterfowl and wetlands conservation.” The plan recognizes the interconnectedness of waterfowl, their habitat, and stakeholders and states that “The needs and desires of people [as they relate to waterfowl] must be clearly understood and explicitly addressed” in order to meet this goal. It calls for more human dimensions research with waterfowl hunters, viewers, and the general public to ensure NAWMP objectives reflect stakeholder and societal values, and that management and policy decisions do not lead to actions that could be either irrelevant or counter to stakeholder and societal expectations. In response to this call for research, this survey will measure the general public’s current awareness and perceptions of waterfowl and wetlands, as well as measure participation in recreational activities, conservation behaviors, acquisition of information on nature-related issues, and demographics.

The Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742(a)-742d, 742e-742j-2) “authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to take steps required for the development, management, advancement, conservation, and protection of fisheries and wildlife resources through research, acquisition of refuge lands, development of existing facilities, and other means.” Additionally, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (16 U.S.C. 703-711) specifically “establishes Federal responsibility for protection and management of migratory and nongame birds,” which includes waterfowl. As NAWMP directly impacts the management and conservation of wildlife, specifically waterfowl, and their habitats, research, including the collection of data, to support NAWMP objectives is authorized by these acts.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection. Be specific. If this collection is a form or a questionnaire, every question needs to be justified.

The information collected by the survey will be used by the partners which are responsible for revising the NAWMP, as well as implementing NAWMP objectives to manage waterfowl and their habitats. These organizations include state fish and wildlife agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, non-profit organizations, and private consultants.

There are 4 sections of questions on the survey: (1) behaviors related to waterfowl, wetlands, and nature; (2) awareness and perceptions of wetlands; (3) acquisition of information about nature-related topics; and (4) demographics, described below. Individual question justifications are provided in the survey.

The first section focuses on people’s participation in recreational and environmental behaviors. This information is necessary because it will assess the level of public engagement in waterfowl-related activities, as well as other nature-based activities, and identify segments of the public that have the potential to become more engaged with conservation, waterfowl, and their habitats. NAWMP partners will use this information to improve their management and outreach strategies. Questions in this section include:

• Participation and future interest in nature-based recreational activities;

• Attitudes toward and barriers to participating in birdwatching and hunting activities;

• Interest in specific types of birds, including waterfowl; and

• Participation in pro-environmental behaviors.

The second section focuses on people’s awareness of and attitudes toward wetlands. This information is necessary to establish a baseline understanding of public attitudes and identify gaps in public awareness about wetlands. Additionally, it will provide information on the relationship between engagement with local wetlands and broader attitudes toward wetlands. This information will again be used to improve management and outreach. Questions in this section include:

• Awareness of local wetlands;

• Engagement with local wetlands; and

• Attitudes toward the benefits provided by wetlands.

The third section focuses on people’s acquisition of information about nature-related topics, such as recreation activities, wildlife, natural areas, or conservation issues. This information is necessary to establish the most effective avenues to disseminate information regarding waterfowl and their habitats. Questions in this section include:

• Preferred channels of information (e.g., online, printed publications) and

• Level of trust in the sources of information (e.g., government, news outlets).

The fourth section focuses on demographic questions. Demographics will be used to identify segments of the population who are more or less engaged with waterfowl, wetlands, and nature. It will also provide a means to compare the results of the survey to the Census to determine the representativeness of the respondents and to results from other surveys. Questions in this section include:

• Age;

• Gender;

• Rural/urban childhood residence;

• Education;

• Nature-related profession;

• Income; and

• Race and ethnicity.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden and specifically how this collection meets GPEA requirements.

The survey will be administered using a mixed-mode approach. All contact with potential respondents will be by mail, but respondents will have the option to complete the survey on paper or online. Each mailing to potential respondents will contain a link to the survey and a unique password; they will also receive up to two paper surveys if they do not complete the survey online. Providing both paper and online options allows the respondents to select the survey mode which is most convenient for them, thus reducing their burden. This approach also meets GPEA requirements to provide an option to submit information electronically to Federal agencies.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item 2 above.

A review of existing research has been completed to assess currently available information on the public’s perceptions of waterfowl and wetlands. There are other national-level surveys which address some of the topics on this survey. For example, the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation asked questions about participation in waterfowl hunting. However, no national-level survey focused on attitudes toward wetlands has been conducted. In order to assess the relationship between attitudes towards wetlands and other variables, such as participation in recreational activities, pro-environmental behaviors, acquisition of information about nature-related topics, and demographics, these questions must all be asked on the same instrument.

5. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

No information will be collected from small businesses or other small entities.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

The signatories of NAWMP, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), have a responsibility to meet the goals laid out in the plan, including the goal of “growing numbers of waterfowl hunters, other conservationists, and citizens who enjoy and actively support waterfowl and wetlands conservation.” Without sufficient information on the behaviors and attitudes of the public regarding waterfowl and wetlands, DOI will not be able to meet this goal effectively.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

* requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

* requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

* requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

* requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records, for more than three years;

* in connection with a statistical survey that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

* requiring the use of a statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

* that includes a pledge of confidentiality that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

* requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secrets, or other confidential information, unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentiality to the extent permitted by law.

This request contains no special circumstances.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and in response to the PRA statement associated with the collection over the past three years, and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

Consultation with representatives of those from whom information is to be obtained or those who must compile records should occur at least once every three years — even if the collection of information activity is the same as in prior periods. There may be circumstances that may preclude consultation in a specific situation. These circumstances should be explained.

The 60-day FRN was published 6/30/2015 at 80 FR 37292. We received no comments as a result of this notice.

We consulted with the individuals listed in Table 1 to obtain their views on the information presented in our instrument. Several modifications to the format and design of the application were suggested during the testing period and these have been incorporated. For example, in response to comments on the survey, we combined three questions regarding past participation in nature-related activities (general activities, birding activities, and hunting/fishing activities) into a single question which included a condensed list of nature-related activities and both past and likelihood of future participation in these activities. We also modified multiple questions to make them more specific to wetlands and waterfowl. For example, we modified a question about knowledge of ecosystem services in general to one about concern about the potential loss of the ecosystem services (or benefits) that wetlands provide. We also changed a number of questions from “check all that apply” formats to scaled formats in order to gather more valuable information on subjects such as conservation behaviors and sources of information about conservation issues.

Table 1. Names and contact information of individuals consulted with outside the agency

Anne Bartuszevige Conservation Science Director Playa Lakes Joint Venture Lafayette, CO	Joe Buchanan Forest Wildlife Unit Leader Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia, WA
Ashley Dayer Conservation Social Scientist Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ithaca, NY	Matthew DiBona Wildlife Biologist Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Smyrna, DE
Larry Hindman Waterfowl Project Manager Maryland Department of Natural Resources Cambridge, MD	Cory Jager Responsive Management Specialist Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Oklahoma City, OK
Don Kraege Waterfowl Section Manager Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia, WA	Lincoln Larson Assistant Professor Clemson University Clemson, SC
Mark Vrtiska Waterfowl Program Manager Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Lincoln, NE	Barry Wilson Gulf Coast Joint Venture Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lafayette, LA

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

There are no payments or gift giving associated with this collection.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

For the purposes of confidentiality, respondent names and addresses will be assigned an ID number which will be used to track survey responses. At no time will respondent names and addresses be directly associated with the survey responses. Additionally, all information collected on the survey will be analyzed and reported on in aggregate; no data on a single individual will be released.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

This collection does not ask for information of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:

* Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desirable. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. Generally, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.

* If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form and aggregate the hour burdens.

* Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here.

Burden estimate is based upon the time to read instructions and to complete a survey. This collection contains two surveys: (1) the full survey and (2) the non-response survey. The second survey will be used to measure the non-response bias and will be administered only to those who do not complete the full survey. This survey contains a small subset of questions from the full survey. We have estimated burden for civilians (general public) for both the full survey and the non-response survey (table 2).

A total of 5,000 members of the general public will be contacted. Based on response rates from similar large-scale surveys of the general public following similar mailing procedures, we expect a response rate of 20%, resulting in 1,000 completed full surveys. For the non-response survey, we expect a 10% response rate from the remaining sample of 4,000 which adds 400 respondents to the burden calculation.

We estimate an aggregated annual cost to the respondents to be $12,257 (table 2). The hour cost is based on BLS ECEC news release USDL 15-1132 of June 10, 2015, for average full compensation per hour including benefits for civilians.

Table 2. Estimated dollar value of annual burden hours for civilians

Survey Respondents (civilians)	Annual Number of Responses	Estimated Completion Time per Respondent (minutes)	Total Annual Burden Hours	Dollar Value of Burden Hour Including Benefits	Total Dollar Value of Annual Burden Hours
Full survey	1000	20	333	$33.49	$11,152
Non-response survey	400	5	33	$33.49	$1,105
Total	1,400		366		$12,257

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual non-hour cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden already reflected in item 12.)

* The cost estimate should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start-up cost component (annualized over its expected useful life) and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of services component. The estimates should take into account costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing the information (including filing fees paid for form processing). Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s), and the time period over which costs will be incurred. Capital and start-up costs include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software; monitoring, sampling, drilling and testing equipment; and record storage facilities.

* If cost estimates are expected to vary widely, agencies should present ranges of cost burdens and explain the reasons for the variance. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collection services should be a part of this cost burden estimate. In developing cost burden estimates, agencies may consult with a sample of respondents (fewer than 10), utilize the 60-day pre-OMB submission public comment process and use existing economic or regulatory impact analysis associated with the rulemaking containing the information collection, as appropriate.

* Generally, estimates should not include purchases of equipment or services, or portions thereof, made: (1) prior to October 1, 1995, (2) to achieve regulatory compliance with requirements not associated with the information collection, (3) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the government, or (4) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

There are no non-hour cost burdens to respondents or recordkeepers.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

The total estimated cost to the Federal Government for acquiring and analyzing information received as a result of this collection is $73,322 (tables 3 and 4). This includes salaries and benefits. Table 3 below shows Federal staff and contractors performing various tasks associated with this information collection. This includes all phases of the survey, including questionnaire design and review, field data collection, and statistical analysis and reporting. We used the Office of Personnel Management Salary Table 2015-DEN to determine the hourly rate. We then multiplied the hourly rate by 1.5 to account for benefits.

Table 3. Federal employee and contractor salaries and benefits

Position	Grade/ Step	Hourly Rate	Fully Loaded Hourly Rate	Annual Hours	Total Labor Value
Project lead, Social scientist	12/1	$36.58	$54.87	600	$32,922
Student contractor	NA	$32.38	NA	260	$8,419
Work study student	NA	$10.53	NA	350	$3,686
Total				1,210	$45,027

Table 4. Other costs to Federal government

Item/Service	Units	Total Cost
Sample of members of U.S. general public	5,000 names and addresses	$1,350
Postage (postcards, survey packets, and non-responses surveys)	18,561 mailings	$15,767
Materials and printing (envelopes, postcards, surveys, and labels)	70,724 items	$11,178
Total		$28,295

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments in hour or cost burden.

This is a new collection with new burden hours.

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

The data collected during this study will be entered into an MS Access database. The data will be analyzed using SPSS^® software. Data analysis will include several phases. The first will consist of frequency distributions of responses to each question and each index created from combined questions. Cross tabulations will be used to investigate differences between various groups (for example, attitudes toward wetlands by hunters, birders, and other recreationists). Multivariate analyses will be conducted to ascertain whether individual variables might be combined to form scales based on responses and to assess relationships between specific variables and created indices. These types of analyses will also be used to determine amounts of variance in dependent variables as explained by independent variables.

USGS Publication Series (Open File Report) and peer-reviewed publication to scientific journals are desired outlets for reporting this information. A schedule for the project is presented in Table 5 below.

Table 5. Project Schedule

Task	Date
Survey information collection	July-August, 2016
Data analysis	September, 2016
Report preparation	October-November, 2016
Final report publication	December, 2016

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

We will display the expiration date for OMB approval on the survey instrument.

18. Explain each exception to the topics of the certification statement identified in "Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions."

We are requesting no exceptions to the certification statement.

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