Assessment of Black Vulture Pilot Permitting Program in Kentucky and Tennessee

OMB Control No. 1040-0001

Expires 10/31/2021

SURVEY SAMPLING PLAN

Our contractor, DJ Case and Associates, will be conducting phone interviews (“surveys”) with the following audiences: agricultural producers, federal and state agencies, and Tennessee and Kentucky Farm Bureau Federations. The federal and state agencies will be further broken down into USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, USFWS, and Tennessee and Kentucky State Wildlife Agencies.

Agricultural producers (12 interviews)

Phone interviews will be conducted with agricultural producers who have and have not participated in the pilot permitting program. In order to create a universe of potential agricultural producers, Farm Bureau Federations will provide a list of individuals who have been issued a sub-permit. The Federations will also provide names of individuals who have requested information about the permits but who have not applied.

Farm Bureau Federations (6 interviews)

Phone interviews will be conducted with individuals who are administering the sub-permitting program in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Federal and state agencies (6 interviews)

In order to create a universe of potential federal and state wildlife agency respondents, Migratory Bird Program will provide a list of positions for the following agencies: USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The list will include potential respondents who administer technical assistance to agricultural producers with black vulture depredation issues, issue federal depredation permits including the permit to the Farm Bureau Federations.

Interview Questions (QUESTIONS ARE DEPENDENT ON RESPONDENT CATEGORY)

For Producers

1. Please tell me how you are involved with black vulture depredation permits.

2. Were you involved in the permitting process before the pilot program was implemented—that is, before Farm Bureau was made the primary permittee in [state]?

3. Now I’d like to ask you about some specific aspects of the changes you’ve seen since the pilot process was adopted. That is, has the change in the process made it better, worse, or about the same for:

1. The time it takes to get a permit.

2. The ease of getting a permit [paperwork, contacts, phone calls, etc.].

3. The amount of technical assistance you receive.

4. The number of birds you are able to take. [Probe: is there a limit? Is that a problem?]

5. The reporting or follow-up that is required.

4. What is your overall opinion of the pilot permitting process? [Probe: Are you more satisfied with it than you were with the previous process? Why or why not? Do you think other producers like you feel the same way?]

5. What is the best part about the pilot permitting process?

6. What is the worst part about the pilot permitting process?

7. Do you think the pilot permitting process should continue?

8. Is the Farm Bureau Federation the right group to issue sub-permits to producers? [Probe: what is good and bad about them? Is there a different group that would be better? Have you heard from any other producers who might feel differently about it?]

9. In years past when you have received permits to take vultures (under either system), have you been able to fill those permits? Did the permits solve your problems?

10. If you could change or improve the pilot process in any way, what would it be?

For Farm Bureau Federations

1. Please tell me how you personally are involved with black vulture depredation permits.

2. Were you also personally involved in the permitting process before the pilot program was implemented—that is, before the Federation was made the primary permittee in [state]?

3. Now I’d like to ask you about some specific aspects of the changes you’ve seen since the pilot process was adopted. That is, has the change in the process made it better, worse, or about the same for:

1. The time it takes for a producer to get a permit.

2. The ease of getting a permit [paperwork, contacts, phone calls, etc.].

3. The amount of technical assistance a producer gets. [Probe: Do you provide technical assistance? Do producers still get assistance from WS? Are producers’ needs being met?]

4. The number of birds producers are able to take. [Probe: is the limit a problem? Are the permits that producers are getting solving their problems?]

5. The reporting or follow-up that is required. [Probe: Is this a big burden for you? Are producers compliant?]

4. Tell me about the workload in general. Is there a limit to the number of sub-permittees you can legitimately handle?

5. How has the change affected your constituents (producers)? [Probe: Are they more satisfied than they used to be? Do you get positive comments? Fewer complaints?]

6. Have there been any issues regarding liability?

7. What is the best part about the pilot permitting process?

8. What is the worst part about the pilot permitting process?

9. Do you sense any issues with producers who are not members of the Farm Bureau Federation? Do they still apply and receive permits from you?

10. Do you think the pilot permitting process should be made permanent in [state]? Do you think Farm Bureau Federations in other states would be willing to take on a similar role if asked?

11. If you could change or improve the pilot process in any way, what would it be?

For USFWS, APHIS WS, State Wildlife Agencies

1. Please tell me how you personally are involved with black vulture depredation permits.

2. Were you also personally involved in the permitting process before the pilot program was implemented—that is, before Farm Bureau Federation was made the primary permittee in [state]?

3. Now I’d like to ask you about some specific aspects of the changes you’ve seen since the pilot process was adopted. That is, has the change in the process made it better, worse, or about the same for:

1. The time it takes for a producer to get a permit.

2. The ease of getting a permit [paperwork, contacts, phone calls, etc.].

3. The amount of technical assistance you provide. [Probe: are you providing more or less technical assistance? Are producers’ needs being met? Is quality of assistance good?]

4. The number of birds producers are able to take. [Probe: is the limit a problem? Are the permits that producers are getting solving their problems?]

5. The reporting or follow-up that is required. [Probe: is the reporting as good as it was before? Is Farm Bureau doing a good job with it? Are producers more compliant?]

6. The revenue the agency receives for permits. Is the lost revenue a problem?

4. Tell me about the workload. Has the pilot program decreased the effort you spend on permitting?

5. How has the change affected producers? [Probe: Are they more satisfied than they used to be? Do you get positive comments? Fewer complaints?]

6. What is the best part about the pilot permitting process?

7. What is the worst part about the pilot permitting process?

8. Is the Farm Bureau Federation the right group to issue sub-permits to producers? [Probe: what is good and bad about them? Is there a different group that would be better? Why? What makes a good permit holder?]

9. Have there been any issues regarding liability? Are you confident FBF is executing its responsibility appropriately?

10. Do you think the pilot permitting process should continue? Made permanent? Be expanded to other states?

11. If you could change or improve the pilot process in any way, what would it be?

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Kentucky and Tennessee Farm Bureau Federations black vulture blanket permit pilot program.. Your response is voluntary and we will not share your response publicly. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. OMB has reviewed and approved this focus group and assigned OMB Control Number 1040-0001.

Estimated Burden Statement: We estimate it will take 1 hour to complete this survey, including time to read instructions and gather information. You may submit comments on any aspect of this information collection to the Service Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: JAO/PERMA-PRB, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, or via email at [email protected].