Oct 21 -- The U.S. Forest Services invites public comments to OMB by November 22, 2021 regarding the National Woodland Owner Survey.
There are an estimated 823 million acres of forestland across the United States. Of this forestland, over half is owned by millions of corporations, families, individuals, and other private groups. Understanding the attitudes and behaviors of these private ownerships is critical for understanding the current and future state of the nation's forests. The Forest Service conducts the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) to increase our understanding of: who owns and manages the forestland of the United States; why they own/manage it; how they have used it; and how they intend to use it. This information is used by policy analysts, foresters, educators, and researchers to facilitate planning and implementation of forest policies and programs.
The NWOS will utilize a mixed-mode survey technique involving cognitive interviews, focus groups, self-administered questionnaires, and telephone interviews. Cognitive interviews will be used to test specific questions. Focus groups will be used to provide more in-depth understanding of the responses and to explore new areas of inquiry. This information collection will generate scientifically-based, statistically-reliable, up-to-date information about the owners of forestland in the United States. Results of these efforts will provide more reliable information on this important and dynamic segment of the United States population, thus facilitating more complete assessments of the country's forestland resources and improved planning and implementation of forestry programs on state, regional, and national levels.
NWOS webpage:
https://www.fia.fs.fed.us/nwos/
NWOS submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202105-0596-003 Click IC List for survey forms, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this site.
FR notice inviting comments to OMB:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/10/21/2021-22971/submission-for-omb-review-comment-request
Point of contact: Brett Butler, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA (413) 545-1387 brett.butler2@usda.gov
For AEA members wishing to submit comments to OMB, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806
