1. Interpreting the Fieldwork Schedule
National Visitor Use Monitoring
Interviewer Training
Forest Service

2. Fieldwork Schedule
Tells you when, where, & what type of survey (interview, traffic counter, or combination) is required

3. Fieldwork schedule terms:
Longitude
Latitude
Site Type
Site Name
Ranger District
Site Number
Subunit
Proxy Type
Sampling Stratum
Month, Day, Year
Survey Time
Notes
In this presentation, we are going to talk through the underlined terms.

4. Fieldwork schedule terms cont.:
Region, Forest, District
Month, Day, Year
Site name & number
Site type
Sub-unit
Use Levels
Proxy or Nonproxy
Survey time (AM/PM)
Notes (special instructions for counters, timeframes, etc.)

5. Introduction to the Fieldwork Schedule

6. Fieldwork Schedule – Site Type

7. Site Types
Different Site Types will require different procedures &/or different parts of the interview form (more on interview forms later)
Need to know what site type you are doing on each interview day
Site types were defined in the inventory design (don’t guess and don’t alter)
One site could be identified as more than one site type

8. What are the site types? Day Use Developed Site (DUDS)
picnic areas, interpretive sites, ski areas, etc.
Overnight Use Developed Site (OUDS)
campgrounds, cabins, lodges & resorts
Wilderness (W)
Designated Wilderness
General Forest Areas (GFA)
undeveloped – outside of Wilderness: trail use, hunting, dispersed camping, river use, recreation residences
Viewing Corridors (VC)
State highways, byways, interstates, etc. – outside NF

9. Fieldwork Schedule – Site Names
Pay attention to districts as some forests have two or more sites with the same name.

10. Fieldwork Schedule – Ranger Districts
District name – provided to help coordinators sort survey workload by district

11. Fieldwork Schedule – Site Number
Not Infra number. Site name & number – identifies the name/location of survey site and number
Name needs to be put on Daily Summary Form (DSF) exactly as listed in fieldwork schedule

12. Fieldwork Schedule – Subunit
If used, identifies whether site belongs to forest or to the subunit. You will know if your forest has a subunit. Subunits are established during the Inventory Design Phase. For example, the Kiowa and Rita-Blanca National Grasslands are a subunit of the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico.
There are no subunits on the Apache-Sitgreaves

13. Fieldwork Schedule – Type: Proxy or Non Proxy
Proxy Site (found in TYPE column)
Actual counts separate from interviewer surveys
No counter needed
Should still take a hand tally count
Non-proxy Site (found in TYPE column)
Mechanical counter set-up required
Counter left out for 24 hours

14. Fieldwork Schedule – Sampling Stratum
Proxy Site (found in TYPE column)
Actual counts separate from interviewer surveys
No counter needed
Should still take a hand tally count
Non-proxy Site (found in TYPE column)
Mechanical counter set-up required
Counter left out for 24 hours

15. Proxy Codes
Sites where visitation can be measured by a direct count of something (fee envelopes, room receipts, etc.)
Sites were identified as proxy in the inventory design (don’t guess and don’t alter)
No traffic counter for proxy sites
You still need to conduct interviews (and hand tally)
Refer to the handbook for specific survey protocol for different proxy types.

16. Proxy Codes and Definitions
Side note to any coordinators out there. Use these proxy code definitions to match the type of information that we are requesting from our partners. See the NVUM Guidebook appendix for a sample form.

17. Proxy Codes and Definitions cont.

18. Proxy Codes and Definitions cont..

19. Surveys at Proxy Sites
The survey forms are built for these proxy site codes. Other proxy site codes have different survey protocol. Refer to the handbook for details.

20. Month, Day, Year
Month, day, year – identifies the date of the survey

21. Assigned Interview Hours
Let’s go back and talk a bit about survey times

22. Interview hours Conduct interviews of EXITING Vehicles and People.
Six contiguous hours during the survey day.
Interviewing for more time is ok. Less time is not ok.
Survey times vary for different site types.

23. Interview hours for Non Proxy Sites
Non proxy sites: AM or PM shift.
AM = 0800 to 1400
PM = 1400 to 2000
In Alaska a third time period is added to capture use during the extensive summer daylight hours.
Alternative survey times for winter (if you need them)
Winter AM =
Winter PM =
Non proxy campgrounds where the checkout time is 2pm or sooner, the interview time should be 8-2 UNLESS there is noticeable amount of day use at this site. If this is the case then the assigned AM and PM is used.

24. Interview hours for Proxy Sites
Select a 6-hour interview time according to when most people will be leaving the site for the last time
Proxy cabins, group camps, and lodges – if there is no one exiting these sites on the assigned interview day, go to the next day the cabin, group camp, or lodge is reserved. You do not need to use the backup calendar. The sites where these are likely to occur are noted in the fieldwork schedule as placeholder days.

25. Notes (Special Instructions)

26. Pay Attention to GFA Low Days
Special survey day instructions are included in the Note1 column.
Empty cells in the Notes1 column indicate you should use the standard protocol (surveys, hand tally counter, and traffic or trail counter).
Below is a list of the more common special instructions.
Notes/Special Instructions
When it will appear in the fieldwork schedule
PLACEHOLDER DAY - IF UNOCCUPIED, USE NEXT OCCUPIED DAY AS SUBSTITUTE
Certain proxy types
SET UP TRAFFIC COUNTER ONLY -- 8AM START
Non Proxy GFA Low days
STANDARD PROTOCOL -- SAMPLING AND TRAFFIC COUNT
Talk through the graphic. The first column is the actual text that will appear in the fieldwork schedule. The second column describes when the text will appear on the fieldwork schedule.
Pay attention to the different protocol for GFA low days

27. GFA Low Days Standard protocol – sampling and traffic counter
Set out counter
Interview visitors and hand tally for 6 hours, record counts
Return to site 24 hours later, pick up counter and record counts
Set Up Traffic Counter only – place the counter out at 8am and leave out for 24 hours, do not conduct interviews
Note: Approximately 50% – 75% of GFA Low days are identified as counter only

28. Placeholder Days Generally group sites or recreation rentals
Site may or may not be occupied that day
Select the closest day that the site is occupied to do interview
If a group CG, try to interview at site
If a remote CG or rec. rental, interview over phone
If a “Placeholder Day” text appears on the fieldwork schedule, then you should inquire with the proxy contact if anyone is planning to exit on that day. If no one is “checking out” or exiting on that day, then select the closest occupied day to conduct the interview.

29. Region & Forest

30. The Back-up Schedule Used in special circumstances
Forest Coordinator determines when to use.
Understand backup days before they are necessary.
Refer to the guidebook together for details on when to use backup days. Have participants take turns reading the circumstances when to use backup days. The main point, is that backup days are used when the recreating public can access the site, but the interviewer can’t.

31. How to choose a backup day…
Everyone should get out a DSF and find at least two suitable backup dates from their field work schedule (e.g. give the participants any two days and have them tell you what is a suitable back up day).

32. Thank You
Questions??