Forest Coordinator Training – Fieldwork and Backup Schedules National Visitor Use Monitoring Forest Service

Fieldwork Schedule Tells you when, where & what type of survey (interview, traffic counter, or combination) is required. The field work schedule is your friend! It tells you when, where, and what type of survey to prepare for. Please get out your fieldwork schedules for reference. If you don’t have one handy, there is an example of a fieldwork and a backup schedule in the files pod in Adobe Connect. You can click to highlight one or both of the excel documents and then click download files at the bottom of the file pod. I recommend not using the dropdown feature at the top of the file pod, as that will download the entire suite of shared files.

Take a look Grab your fieldwork schedule (and back-up) and lets take a look at it. Let’s take a look at your calendars. If you have a Survey Calendar handy, please take it out and follow along.

Information Includes: Region, Forest, District Sub-unit Month, Day, Year Site Name & Number Site Type Proxy or Non-Proxy Sample Strata Survey Time (AM/PM) Notes (special instructions for counters, timeframes, etc.) Looking from left to right across the top of the spreadsheet, each column contains important information about the survey, like the Region, Forest, District, and the Month, Day, and Year of the Survey. Looking down the left hand side of the spreadsheet, each row contains information about the specific survey at a specific site.

Decoding. Region & forest number – administrative info for interview forms and tracking. District name – provided to help coordinators sort survey workload by district. The first thing I do when I receive my fieldwork schedule is use filters to sort my data. You can do this by highlighting the column headers across the top of your spreadsheet and Clicking Sort & Filter and then Filter. Let me know if you need help with this and I can send you a screen capture of instructions. So now that you are looking at your survey calendar, let’s decode some of the column headers. Of course you are all familiar with the Region, and Forest Number, as well as the District names. As a NVUM forest coordinator or field interviewer, you can use a filter that I mentioned to filter the calendar by District to see only the surveys on a particular district.

Decoding.. Sub-unit If used, identifies which subunit the site belongs to. Subunits were identified in inventory design (don’t guess). When using back-up schedule, pay attention to subunit.

Decoding... Month, day, year– identifies the date of the survey. Site name & number – identifies the name/location of the site and number. Name needs to be put on forms exactly as listed in fieldwork schedule. Number is randomly assigned by system and could be the Infra #, but may not be.

Decoding .... Site Type– 5 different types DUDS – Day use Developed Site OUDS – Overnight Use Developed Site GFA – General Forest Area Wilderness – Designated Wilderness View – View Corridor

Decoding ..... Proxy Site Non-Proxy Site Actual counts are separate from interviewer surveys (typically fee sites) No counters needed Non-Proxy Site Automated counter set-up required Counter left out for 24 hours

Decoding ...... Sample Strata – based on exiting traffic volume Very High High Medium Low Not all forests will have all strata Not all site types will have all strata Strata and Use Levels were identified in inventory design (don’t guess)

Decoding ....... Survey time The time assigned for the 6 hour interview period. AM – 8 am to 2 pm (0800 – 1400) PM – 2 pm to 8 pm (1400 – 2000) Proxy sites have no AM or PM survey window – pick a 6-hour timeframe to catch highest exiting traffic volume. The survey period can be adjusted to ensure that interviewers are not out when it’s dark.

Decoding……… Notes There are four different entries in the Notes column: Blank Standard Protocol – Survey, Hand Tally and Traffic Count Set up Traffic Counter Only – 8am Start Placeholder day – if Unoccupied, Use Next Occupied Day as Substitute

Notes Blank cells = conduct standard protocol GFA Low days have two different notes: Standard protocol – interviews, hand tally counter, traffic counter Counter only – place the traffic counter out, but no interviews

Standard Protocol: Standard Protocol – Non-Proxy Set out counter Interview for 6 hours (AM or PM) Return to site 24 hours later and pick up counter Standard Protocol – Proxy Interviews for 6 hours (during peak exiting traffic)

Set up Traffic Counter Only: Set up traffic counter as close to 8 am as possible Do not conduct interviews Leave counter out for at least 24 hours Return and pick up counter

Placeholder Days Placeholder day – if Unoccupied, Use Next Occupied Day as a Substitute: Generally listed for group sites or recreation rentals. Site may or may not be occupied that day. Select the next closest day that the site is occupied to do interview.

Other Special Situations Recreation Rentals can be done on the phone Obtain contact info from reservations Contact visitor 2-3 days after they have left site Fill out the form as if interviewing them the day of their exit For all proxy sites – try to avoid zero days Reschedule interview day as needed

Questions… 1 Historically, there is a lot of confusion about the notes section and special situations

The Back-up Schedule May be needed if special circumstances warrant alternative survey days. Program Manager determines whether Back-up Schedule use is necessary.

When can you use the Back-up? Recreation Special Event – an event is planned at the site, and it is expected to change the use level (say from Low to High). Strategic Purposes – cannot possibly get all the equipment & interviewers to all the locations (do not use unless all other options have been exhausted). Sick Interviewer – interviewer is sick and no one else is available. Proxy Sites – we do not want any zero days for proxy sites (can use calendar or just select a different day).

When can’t you use the Back-up? Bad weather – go to site to see if anyone is there or just take the “zero” day. Fire closes the forest – a random event, same as bad weather days, note is on the DSF. No/Low/Heavy Snow year – same as above, go out to site to see if anyone is recreating. Site is closed and we thought it would be open – just the luck of the draw, take a “zero” day. One district has too many surveys – not designated for district estimates, just forest estimates.

How to use the Back-up? Use the site type and use level of missed day Find the site type in back-up schedule, then Find the use level or proxy code, then Pick the next available day If this causes logistical problems, can go to next day on list The replacement survey may not be the same site or the same district – that is OK – this is a forest sample!

Back-up cont. You can not “shop” for replacement days. Pay attention to subunit when selecting day. If there are no more days on the list, contact Don English.

How to fill in form…

Practice… Get your back-up fieldwork schedule Find a back-up for a DUDS Medium After April 7, 2018

Questions….. 1

Next… Preparing for Fieldwork Background Overview Resources Costs Technical Terms and Proxy Codes Fieldwork and Backup Schedules Preparing for Fieldwork Managing the Fieldwork Preventing Mistakes