What's New in 2006?

Available Sampling Windows: Surveys of day use and camping visitors can start surveys as early as April 1, 2006. This is two months earlier than last year.

Comment Card: OMB has approved a new Visitor Comment Card for surveys of day use and camping visitors. The new card has been approved for use through March 2009. It is available in the survey documentation section containing the Comment Card Image Files. The new comment card has an additional question and improved question wording. It has also been reformatted so that all questions now appear on one side of the card.

Printing Comment Cards: A commercial source for volume printing of comment cards is no longer provided. Instead project offices are encouraged to print a supply of comment cards from an office computer that has access to a LaserJet printer. Instructions are provided in the survey documentation section on Printing Instructions.

Changes in the Survey Schedule Generator: The recreation area visitation statistics you are asked to verify and/or modify in Step 3 of the Survey Schedule Generator have been simplified. In addition, you can now edit the distribution of visitation across months and days of the week separately for day use and camping.

Opting Out of the Survey: Projects receiving fewer than 50,000 visits annually at Corps-managed recreation areas can elect to opt out of the survey. This is a twofold increase from the 25,000-visit threshold in effect last year. You should run the Survey Schedule Generator to determine if you qualify for the opt-out provision.

Number of Sampling Dates: The number sampling dates on which comment cards should be administered has been reduced from 30 to 20 per survey. This reduces the total number of comment cards administered during the survey from 240 to 160 for the surveys of both campers and day users.

Accessing Data Entry and Reporting Tools: These functions will no longer be accessible through RecBEST. They are now accessible only through the NRM Gateway at Recreation Areas: Survey tools and procedures for FY06-07.

Visitor Center Surveys: A Visitor Center Comment Card and procedures for conducting satisfaction surveys at Visitor Centers are being introduced this year. Satisfaction surveys at visitor centers should no longer use the comment card or survey procedures prescribed for satisfaction surveys day use and camping visitors.

Assistance: For assistance with any aspect of the comment card surveys please contact Christine Wibowo (ERDC) by telephone at 601-634-4397.or E-mail at Christine.Wibowo@usace.army.mil.