Mail survey

Beach Recreation Survey
ORANGE COUNTY

Your opinions are
important to us!

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is authorized by 33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq. to conduct this survey. The information collected will be used by NOAA to estimate
economic impacts associated with marine debris on beaches.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering
and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to
Amy V. Uhrin, NOAA NOS, 1305 East-West Hwy, SSMC4, Room 10240, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
The questionnaire has an identification number for mailing purposes only. Your name and address will be deleted after we receive your completed questionnaire. Notwithstanding any other
provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subjected to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.
OMB Control Number 0648-0756 I Current Expiration Date: 08/312020
Privacy Act Statement
Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under 33 U.S.C. 1853 et seq, the Marine Debris Research, Prevention and Reduction Act, which, along with the Marine Debris
Amendments of 2012, established the NOAA Marine Debris Program to “identify, determine sources of, assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris and address the adverse impacts of
marine debris on the economy of the United States, the marine environment, and navigation safety.”
Purpose: The information will be used to estimate economic impacts associated with marine debris on beaches.
NOAA Routine Uses: The survey data will be combined with a national model of coastal recreation, which relies on data collected for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill assessment, to estimate the
economic impacts of marine debris on tourism-dependent communities. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a) to be shared among
NOAA staff for work-related purposes. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice
Commerce/NOAA-11, Contact Information for Members of the Public Requesting or Providing Information Related to NOAA’s Mission.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary; the only consequence of failure to provide accurate information is that your responses will not contribute to the success of this research.

Coastal beaches are vital to the area’s economy and quality of life. Your answers to this survey will help inform
decisions about improving and protecting coastal resources. We want to hear from everyone about things
people want to experience when they visit the beach. Your response is important – please complete this
voluntary survey.
Our questions are about ocean beaches in Orange County, shown in the map below.
1. In the list below, please circle the names of any beaches you went to between September 1, 2016 and
August 31, 2017. If you don’t know the name of a beach you went to or it is not on the list, please
circle the name of a nearby beach.

1. Seal Beach
2. Surfside Beach
3. Sunset Beach
4. Bolsa Chica State Beach
5. Huntington City Beach
6. Huntington State Beach
7. Santa Ana River County Beach
8. Newport Beach
9. Balboa Beach
10. Corona del Mar State Beach
11. Crystal Cove State Park Beach
OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

12. Emerald Bay Beach
13. Laguna Beach
14. Aliso Beach
15. Salt Creek
16. Monarch Beach
17. Dana Point
18. Doheny State Beach
19. Capistrano Beach Park
20. Poche County Beach
21. San Clemente City Beach
22. San Clemente State Beach
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Now we would like to ask you about the number of day trips and overnight trips you took to beaches in
Orange County. A day trip is any time you went to the beach and returned home the same day. An overnight
trip is when you spent at least one night away from home.
2. Between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017, did you take any day trips to beaches in Orange
County? Please check  one box.
No

Yes 

How many day trips?

day trips

3. Between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017, did you take any overnight trips where the main
purpose was visiting beaches in Orange County? Please check  one box.
No

Yes 

How many overnight trips?

overnight trips

In total, how many nights
did you pay for lodging
during your overnight trips?

nights

The next question is about beach characteristics.
4. Please tell us how important the following characteristics are to you when you decide which beaches
to visit. Please check  one box per row.
Not
Important
1

Somewhat
Important
2

3

Very
Important
4

5

Scenic beauty or view

1

2

3

4

5

Good water quality

1

2

3

4

5

Close to home

1

2

3

4

5

Parking is convenient

1

2

3

4

5

Parking is free or inexpensive

1

2

3

4

5

Good surfing available

1

2

3

4

5

Sandy (rather than rocky)

1

2

3

4

5

Not crowded

1

2

3

4

5

Long enough to go for a walk/run

1

2

3

4

5

Bike path available

1

2

3

4

5

Fishing opportunities available

1

2

3

4

5

No garbage or manmade debris on the beach

1

2

3

4

5

No natural debris like kelp or seaweed on the beach

1

2

3

4

5

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

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Garbage or Manmade Debris You May See on Beaches
Different beaches can have different amounts of garbage or manmade debris. Garbage or manmade debris
refers to items like bottles, wrappers, straws, plastic fragments, or cigarettes. It does not include twigs or
seaweed.
The pictures below illustrate the amount of debris commonly found on United States beaches. Imagine you
are picking up debris over an area of 500 square feet or approximately the area of three parking spaces,
outlined in red below.

If you walked back and forth in this area and picked up all the debris, you might find different amounts ranging
from “almost none” to a “high amount.” As the pictures below show, different levels of debris on the beach
can be given a score from 1 to 5. Higher scores mean more debris.
Almost None

1

High Amount

2

3

4

5

On the next page, we will ask you to use the above scale to estimate the amount of garbage or manmade
debris you saw on beaches you have been to in Orange County.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

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5. In the table below, please write the names of beaches in Orange County that you went to between
September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017. You may want to refer back to the map on page 2 of this
survey.
To the right of each beach you went to, use the debris scale from the previous page and write a number
between 1 and 5, indicating the amount of garbage or manmade debris you saw on the beach. Writing
a “1” indicates you saw almost none, while writing a “5” indicates you saw a high amount of garbage or
manmade debris. For any beach where you don’t recall the amount of debris, please write “don’t
recall” in place of a number.

Beach Name

How Much Garbage or Manmade
Debris Did You See on the Beach?
(1 = Almost None)
(5 = High Amount)
(Don’t Recall)

Surfside Beach

4

Monarch Beach

2

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

5

We have a few questions about the pictures used above to show garbage or manmade debris on beaches.
6. Are the pictures a good representation of the types of debris you have seen on beaches you visited in
Orange County?
Please check  one box.
Yes, good representation
Yes, somewhat good representation
No, somewhat bad representation

How so?

No, bad representation

How so?

Can’t say, I have not seen much debris

7. We described debris as being spread over 500 square feet (about the area of three parking spaces).
Was that description of the area clear?
Please check  one box.
Yes, clear
Yes, somewhat clear
No, somewhat unclear

How so?

No, unclear

How so?

8. The pictures showed a range of different amounts of debris. Did you find an amount that was
accurate for the beaches you went to?
Please check  one box.
Yes, accurate
Yes, somewhat accurate
No, somewhat inaccurate

How so?

No, not accurate

How so?

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

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9. Between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017, if there had been almost no garbage or manmade
debris at beaches in Orange County, would you have gone to the beach more often or the same
number of times? Please check  one box.
More often Please answer the two questions below.
Between September 1, 2016 and August 31,
2017, how many more day trips would you have
taken if there were almost no garbage or
manmade debris on Orange County beaches?

more day trips

Between September 1, 2016 and August 31,
2017, how many more overnight trips would you
have taken if there were almost no garbage or
manmade debris on Orange County beaches?

more overnight trips

The same number of times

10. Between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017, if there had been twice as much garbage or
manmade debris at beaches in Orange County, would you have gone to the beach less often or the
same number of times? Please check  one box.
Less often  Please answer the two questions below.
Between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017,
how many fewer day trips would you have taken
if there were almost no garbage or manmade
debris on Orange County beaches?

fewer day trips

Between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017,
how many fewer overnight trips would you have
taken if there were almost no garbage or
manmade debris on Orange County beaches?

fewer overnight trips

The same number of times

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

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We have a few questions about your answers on the previous page.
11. How confident are you in your answers about whether you would change the places you went to if …
(please check  one box per row):
Confident
1

Somewhat
Confident
2

Not
Confident
3

… there were almost no debris?

1

2

3

… there were twice as much debris?

1

2

3

12. How confident are you in your answers about any change in the number of trips you would take if …
(please check  one box per row):
Confident
1

Somewhat
Confident
2

Not
Confident
3

… there were almost no debris?

1

2

3

… there were twice as much debris?

1

2

3

13. When you answered the questions about your trips, were you thinking primarily about garbage or
manmade debris, or were you also thinking about other types of pollution, such as runoff from
factories or farms? Please check  one box.
I was thinking primarily about debris

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

I was also thinking about other types of pollution

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The next few questions ask about your experiences with debris on beaches.
14. How concerned would you be to see the following types of garbage or manmade debris while visiting
a beach? Please check  one box per row.
Not At All
Concerned
1

Somewhat
Concerned
2

3

Very
Concerned
4

5

Plastic items or bottles

1

2

3

4

5

Styrofoam

1

2

3

4

5

Paper products

1

2

3

4

5

Wooden items

1

2

3

4

5

Metal items or cans

1

2

3

4

5

Glass

1

2

3

4

5

Rubber items

1

2

3

4

5

Cloth or clothing

1

2

3

4

5

Cigarette butts

1

2

3

4

5

Fishing gear

1

2

3

4

5

Medical waste

1

2

3

4

5

Animal waste

1

2

3

4

5

15. Please look at the list below and check  the box next to all the types of garbage or manmade debris
that you have actually seen on beaches in Orange County.
Plastic items or bottles

Cloth or clothing

Styrofoam

Cigarette butts

Paper products

Fishing gear

Wooden items

Medical waste

Metal items or cans

Animal waste

Glass

Other (please specify)

Rubber items

16. Do you think garbage or manmade debris is a problem on Orange County beaches?
Please check  one box.
Yes
OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

No

Not sure
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17. To the best of your knowledge, what do you think is the largest source of garbage or manmade debris
found on beaches in Orange County?
Please check  one box.
Left by beach visitors
Blown to the beach from nearby areas on land
Washed ashore from the ocean
Washed ashore from nearby rivers or storm drains
Other (please specify)

Finally, we have just a few questions about you and your household. These questions are a way to make sure
that we understand the values and opinions of all types of people visiting beaches in Orange County.
18. Have you participated in any beach cleanups within the last three years? Please check  one box.
No

Yes

19. How many adults and children live in your household?
Adults (18 and older)

Children (under 18)

20. What is your gender? Please check  one box.
Male

Female

21. What is your age?
Years

22. Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? Please check  one box.
No

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

Yes

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23. What is your race? Select all that apply.
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
White
Other (please specify)

24. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed? Please check  one box.
Less than high school graduate

Some college or Associate’s degree

High school graduate (includes GED)

Bachelor’s degree
Graduate or professional degree, beyond
a bachelor’s degree

25. Which of the following income categories best describes your household income last year, before
taxes? Please check  one box.
Less than $15,000

$50,000 to $74,999

$15,000 to $24,999

$75,000 to $99,999

$25,000 to $34,999

$100,000 to $150,000

$35,000 to $49,999

More than $150,000

Thank you for participating!
Please return your survey in the enclosed, self-addressed, stamped envelope.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0756
Expiration date: 08/31/2020

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