MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest will be starting a year of visitor surveys this Monday, Oct. 1, at various sites on the forest.
The last survey was completed in 2008, and the surveys are conducted on forests nationally.
Surveys will continue through Sept. 30, 2013.
Forest Service employees and Student Conservation Association employees will be working in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along Forest Service roads.
They will be wearing bright orange vests and near a sign that says “Traffic Survey Ahead.”
The interviewers will be out in all conditions daily for the next year.
Forest visitors are asked to stop and participate in the survey this year, sharing their experiences on the Mendocino National Forest.
Participation is voluntary and all information is confidential – with no names being collected.
Frequent forest visitors are encouraged to participate often. Forest managers are interested in feedback from local people using the forest frequently as well as out-of-area visitors.
The basic interview lasts about eight minutes. Every other visitor will be asked a few additional questions, which may take an additional five minutes.
About a third of all visitors will be asked to complete an additional confidential survey on recreation spending during their trip.
Visitors can expect questions about where they recreated, how many people traveled with them, how long they visited the forest, what recreation sites they visited during their stay, and how satisfied they are with the recreation facilities and services provided.
The information gathered is useful for forest planning, as well as state and local community tourism planning.
It provides National Forest managers with estimates on the number of people recreating on federal lands and the types of activities they are engaging in.
Information on the satisfaction of forest visitors is important in assessing the current and future recreational needs.
Economic information gathered will help in estimating the impact to local communities.
For more information on the Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring Program, please visit www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/nvum .
For more information locally, please contact the Mendocino National Forest at 530-934-3316, or visit www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino .