Bureau of Land Management 2012 Visitor Satisfaction Survey; DD: 12/2/2011

IB 2012-016
Information Bulletin

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWASHINGTON, DC  20240http://www.blm.govNovember 14, 2011In Reply Refer To:8300 (WO-250/OC-570) PEMS TRANSMISSION 11/23/2011Information Bulletin No. 2012-016To:               All State Directors and National Landscape Conservation System Assistant DirectorAttn:  Recreation and National Landscape Conservation System Program LeadsFrom:           Division Chief, Recreation and Visitor ServicesSubject:       Bureau of Land Management 2012 Visitor Satisfaction Survey                                                                                                                           DD:  12/2/2011This Information Bulletin (IB) documents the decision to continue the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Visitor Satisfaction Survey through Calendar Year 2012.  This IB requests that each state director (except the Eastern States Director), in collaboration with their State Recreation Program and National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) Program Leads, select two sites in their respective area of jurisdiction to conduct a visitor satisfaction survey.  The Eastern States Office may also participate at their discretion.The annual visitor satisfaction survey provides the BLM with both data for reporting results using national performance measures required under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 and information regarding visitors’ satisfaction with value for fees paid.  This survey also provides BLM site managers vital information relative to visitors’ level of contentment with facilities, interpretation/education programs and materials, road/trail maintenance, staff service, and general recreation management.Each state (except the Eastern States) is asked to complete the following steps:   

  1. Review the Visitor Survey Instrument (Attachment 1) – the survey instrument has ongoing month-to-month Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval, while the Department awaits renewal of the expedited  clearance process, and Survey Sampling and Instructions for On-Site Visitor Survey Administration (Attachment 2).
  2. Select two sites/areas that can be sampled in Calendar Year 2012 within a 2-month time period during January 15, 2012 – August 31, 2012, in accordance with survey instructions developed by the University of Idaho.  Selected sites can be either fee or non-fee, and may be a NLCS unit.  In choosing these two sites/areas, please consider the following requirements:
  • Select sites that have adequate visitation during the 2-month survey time period.  It is necessary to distribute approximately 350-400 survey instruments per site to potential respondents; therefore, each state must select sites with adequate visitation to meet this requirement.
  • Select sites that either have adequate on-site staffing or can otherwise provide staff to distribute the surveys in accordance with directions from the University of Idaho.  Volunteers may be used in this process.
  • Select sites where the BLM has made an investment to provide recreation opportunities and benefits, since the BLM is asking for survey respondents to report on their satisfaction with the BLM’s recreation management activities.  Surveying these types of sites will best allow the BLM to understand how effectively its recreation management is meeting the public’s needs.
  • Select one site/area, if possible, that provides interpretive programming and/or facilities.  It is strongly recommended that a site be chosen so that the BLM can meet the Departmental requirement in reporting GPRA information on interpretive efforts.
  1. Complete a Site Profile (Attachment 3) for each of the two sites/areas selected.
  1. Submit the completed Site Profiles to David Baker, Outdoor Recreation Planner, National Operations Center (NOC), Division of Resource Services (DRS), at djbaker@blm.gov by December 2, 2011.

Once each state’s site/area nominations have been approved by the National Recreation and Visitor Services (NR&VS) Division, the site selections will be forwarded to the Principal Investigator, Jennifer Hoger Russell at the University of Idaho, who will then communicate with the designated site contact person to develop a sampling procedure.  The following will then take place:

  1. The University of Idaho will print the computer scannable surveys with the site name and ship them, along with the locked drop boxes and protocols, directly to the site contact person.  The BLM will oversee the administration of the survey on-site during the 2-month sampling period between January 15, 2012 - August 31, 2012.  It is necessary to distribute approximately 350-400 survey instruments per site to potential respondents.
  1. Once the sampling is completed, the locked drop boxes containing the returned surveys will be shipped to the University of Idaho.
  1. The survey data will be entered and analyzed by the University of Idaho; reports will be generated and distributed to the individual sites.  Data relating to BLM national GPRA reporting measures will be available to the BLM by late September 2011.  The final and comprehensive national and site specific reports will be delivered to the BLM by the end of November 2012.

Each state office should submit a completed Site Profile (Attachment 3) for each of their two site selections by December 2, 2011.The BLM Washington Office has a $65,000. contract with the University of Idaho to print the survey (individualized with BLM site names); provide surveys and locked drop boxes for completed surveys; establish a sampling protocol for each site; enter data; analyze the data; and prepare both national and site reports on the results.  In addition, administering the survey will require 80–140 hours of paid staff or volunteer time at each of the 22 sites selected to participate in the survey.The BLM Visitor Survey has been conducted annually since 1999 (with the exception of 2002).  The 2012 survey instrument has ongoing month-to-month OMB approval, as the Department awaits renewal of the expedited (generic) clearance process. Annual visitor surveys are required as part of the Annual Performance Plan mandated under GPRA which stipulates meeting explicit long-term goals related to Recreation and NLCS customer satisfaction measures.Coordination has included the NR&VS Division (WO-250) and the NOC-DRS (OC-570).For more information, please contact Daniel Brown, Program Analyst, WO-250, at 202-912-7255 or David Baker, Outdoor Recreation Planner, NOC/DRS, at 303-236-6313.Signed by:                                                                   Authenticated by:Andy Tenney                                                              Robert M. WilliamsDivision Chief                                                             Division of IRM Governance,WO-560Recreation and Visitor Services3 Attachments   1 – BLM Visitor Survey (2 pp)   2 – Fiscal Year 2012 BLM Visitor Survey - Instructions for On-Site Visitor Survey Administration (2 pp)   3 – Site Profile – 2012 Visitor Survey (2 pp)

Office

National Office

Fiscal Year

2012