Outreach comments

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AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistence Harryest Survey

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Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015-2016
Public Outreach to Assess Relevance of Survey Methods and Survey Burden
Date: ll5l20l5

James Fall

Name:

1. Is the information collected by the AMBCC subsistence harvest survey necessary and does the
information has practical utility?
Yes. Harvest data are essential for management of migratory bird populations.

take the surveyor on average 5 minutes per household to determine whether or not
household
agrees to participate in the survey?
that

2. Does it still
Yes.

3. Does its still take the household member on average

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5 minutes to

fill

out a seasonal sheet of the

AMBCC subsistence harvest survey?

Yes.

4. Do you

have suggestions to improve the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information collected?

No. A formal review of the program is underway

5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents?

No. The minimum information

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needed for good harvest estimates is covered on the survey

AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistence Harvest Survey

o

Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015-2016
Public Outreach to Assess Relevance of Survey Methods and Survey Burden

Name: Dan

Rosenberg

Date: Nov. 4,2015

1. Is the information collected by the AMBCC subsistence harvest survey necessary and does the
information has practical utility? Yes, harvest assessment is a critical component of population
mana gement and ne c e s s ary

for

r

e

gul at i o n

setti

ng.

5 minutes per household to determine whether or not
Yes, this is a reasonable estimate.
participate
in
survey?
the
household
agrees
to
that

2. Does it still take the surveyor on average

take the household member on average 5 minutes to fill out a seasonal sheet of the
AMBCC subsistence harvest survey? Yes, this is also a reasonqble estimate.

3. Does its still

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have suggestions to improve the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected?
A harvest survey review has recently been conducted and the results of that collective Alaska
Migratory Bird Comanagment Council and University effort will provide suggestions.

4. Do you

5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents? This has also been discussed during the harvest survey review process and several
options have been presented and are being discussed. These include fewer suryeys, fewer species

interest, fewer households sampled etc.

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of

AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistence Harvest Survey

o

Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015-2016
Public Outreach to Assess Relevance of Survey Methods and Survey Burden

Date: lllll/15

David Otis

Name:

l. Is the information collected by the AMBCC subsistence harvest survey necessary and does the
information has practical utility?

Yes. It is an important component of the federal migratory bird management and conservation
program, and provides documentation of the importance of this resource to native Alaskans.

2. Does it still

take the surveyor on average 5 minutes per household to determine whether or not
that household agrees to participate in the survey?

I do not have first hand knowledge of this process, but I would assume that asking
yes/no questions of the household representative takes very little time.

3. Does its still take the household member on average

o

5 minutes to

fill

a

few simple

out a seasonal sheet of the

AMBCC subsistence harvest survey?
Again, I have no first hand knowledge of this process for this particular suryey, but based on my
experience, there is a significant amount of variation among respondents in the amount of time they
devote to monitoring their harvest during a given season and then actually filling out the data form.
Filling out the form itself should take very little time, but the effort spent on tracking their harvest
during the season is unknown.

4. Do you

have suggestions to improve the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information collected?

There is currently an independent review being conducted of the AMBCC survey design and data
protocols. The expectation is that a report due in 2016 will provide an evaluation of the
performance and cost-effectiveness of the survey and also suggestions as appropriate for
modifications.

5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents?

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The easy answer would be suggest that the households be surveyed only once at the end of the
harvest season. However, the human survey literature clearly documents that extended lag time
between the performance of the activity and the survey can have a significant negative impact on
the quality of the data due to memory error and bias.

fi/A5/2A15 89:.32

9475434413

YUKON DELTA NI4R

PAGE

Survey
AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistence Hervest

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Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015-2016
Burden
pubtic outreach to Assess Relevance of survey Methods and survey

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Name

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harvest survey necsssary and doos tlre
Is the inforrnation collected by tlrc AMBCC subsisteuce
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4. Do you have

suggestions to improve the quality,

utility, and clarity of the infbmration collected?

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5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection

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of information on

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AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistence Harvest Survey

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Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015-2016
Public Outreach to Assess Relevance of Survey Methods and Survey Burden
Date: lll912015

Name: James M. Van Lanen

1. Is the information collected by the AMBCC subsistence harvest survey necessary and does the
information has practical utility?

It is the only effective means to track the diversity of migratory bird harvest across
Alaska. Harvest numbers and trends by species inform management.
Yes.

2. Does it still take the surveyor on average 5 minutes

per household to determine whether or not

that household agrees to participate in the survey?
Yes

3. Does its still take the household member on average 5 minutes to fill out a seasonal sheet of the
AMBCC subsistence harvest survey?

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Yes

4. Do you have suggestions to improve the quality, utility,

and clarity of the information collected?

The color bird ID cards should always be employed in the survey and a copy of the card
should always be given to the respondent.

5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents?

Remove as much ored tape' as possible. Train local researchers to be efficient. Subsistence
users are always more apt to participate when the process is non-confusing and hassle free.

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@
AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistence Harvest Survey

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Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015'20L6
Public Outreach to Assess Relevance of Survey Methods and Survey Burden

Name:

L

@

National Wildlife Refuee Date:

llll0l20l5

Is the information collected by the AMBCC subsistence harvest survey necessary and does the

information has practical utility?
The subsistence harvest survey information is important to the management of migratory
waterfowl within United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia. It provides a practical
gauge on the consistent level of harvest and the necessary subsistence flexibility on the
availability of various waterfowl species.
Collection of this information is part of the co-management of the Alaska Migratory CoManagement Program and provides direct input from the harvesters into monitoring and
management of migratory waterfowl.

2. Does it still take the surveyor on average 5 minutes

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per household to determine whether or not

that household agrees to participate in the survey?
Yes and possibly less time since the survey is conducted either by local hire refuge
employees or by local tribal employees. Local harvesters are more comfortable and willing
to share harvest information with a local resident.

3. Does its still take the household member on average 5 minutes to fill out a seasonal sheet of the
AMBCC subsistence harvest survey?
Yes and the length of survey time would be 5 minutes and sharing of stories and traditional
knowledge would add time. Comfortable harvesters like to share more than harvested
numbers. Sharing and listening builds trust between the program and the harvesters.
4. Do you

have suggestions to improve the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected?
Yes the surveys should be conducted on a regular basis to provide more opportunity for
harvesters to share their information through local hire. Regularly scheduled surveys will
help maintain the knowledge and capacity of local villages to successfully conduct the
surveys.

Continue to pursue local village hire to conduct the survey and seek their input on improving
the survey and sharing the information collected.
5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on
respondents?

Whenever possible coordinate with other programs/agencies planning on conducting survey
in a village. Seek the input from the local village suveyors and their leaders on suggestions
to minimize the burden on respondents.

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AMBCC Migratory Birds Subsistcncc Haruest Suney

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Federal OMB Approval Renewal 2015-20f 6
Outresch
to Assess Relevance of Survey Methods rnd Survey Burden
Public

Name:

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ls the information collected by the AMBCC subsistence harvest survey necessary and does the

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information has practical utility?

Yrs

2.

Does it still take the surveyor on average 5 minutes per household to determine whether or not
that household agrees to partioipate in the survef

'lc 5

3.

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Does its still take the household member on average 5 minutes to
AMBCC subsistence harvest survey?

fill out a seasonal sheet of the

Y(s

4. Do you have suggestions to irnprove

the quality,

utility, and clarity of thc information collected?

J,Jo

5. Do you have suggestions on ways to minimize the burden of the collection of infonnation on
respondents?

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