This Month at
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| Responsive Management, an internationally recognized public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues, is currently involved in more than 30 research projects on public opinion on and attitudes toward natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. Responsive Management is currently conducting surveys, needs assessments, evaluations, and message testing for many different agencies and organizations, including the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), National Shooting Sports Foundation, American Sportfishing Association, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), Archery Trade Association, and Federal Lands Hunting and Shooting Sports Roundtable, to name a few. |
Recently completed projects include studies on public opinion on, attitudes toward, and knowledge of agency funding, grizzly bear recovery, wildfires and controlled burning, litter, hunting and shooting sports, deer management, and public access programs; trends in outdoor recreation participation; several hunting and fishing recruitment and retention projects; hunter harvest; hunters' and anglers' opinions on energy development and climate change; hunters' opinions on game management and youth hunting recruitment efforts; anglers' participation in fishing and opinions on species-specific regulations; boaters' use of life jackets and participation in and opinions on boating activities; factors related to boat fatalities in the U.S.; factors related specifically to canoe and kayak fatalities in the U.S.; and coastal training and marine mammal issues among marine professionals. |
Some interesting findings from our recent studies include: |
In an evaluation of the "Wear It California!" program for which free life jackets were provided to boaters, Responsive Management found that the program is a successful one for increasing life jacket use and saving lives. In fact, the results showed that the program may have saved four lives. Four recipients of free life jackets indicated that since receiving the life jacket, the jacket was used in a boating emergency. |
A study of anglers for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources found that the most commonly fished type of water body in Iowa was constructed lake, followed by farm pond/gravel pit, inland river, border river, and natural lake. In this study, Responsive Management also examined and analyzed the characteristics and behaviors of avid and casual anglers to better understand the differences between those who fish every year and those who fish only occasionally. |
Responsive Management has been conducting a trends survey for the Arizona Game and Fish Department for the past two decades to monitor participation in, satisfaction with, and opinions on outdoor recreation in Arizona. In 2008, the trend study showed that watching wildlife away from home had increased, but there was a substantial decline in participation in off-highway vehicle driving as well as slight declines in boating, fishing, and hunting. |
To assist in determining the needs of Washington boaters and to help determine priorities for allocating resources, Responsive Management conducted a comprehensive boating needs assessment, interviewing professional boating services providers and boaters on a regional basis throughout the state of Washington. The following recommendations made by Responsive Management were accepted by the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) and recommended by the RCO to the Washington state legislature:
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| Responsive Management conducted surveys of both hunters and the general population in Washington to determine opinions on hunting and wildlife management issues in the state. The survey found that Washington residents most commonly think that threats to humans from cougars have remained stable in the past 4 years (43% gave this answer); otherwise, they more often think threats have increased than decreased. On a related topic, the large majority of Washington residents (75%) support allowing wolves to recover in Washington. |
The majority of Vermonters support alternative funding options for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, including redistributing a portion of the current state sales tax, providing money from the state's general fund for current programs the Department does not already receive money, and receiving a portion of the Rooms and Meals Tax. |
A majority of residents of counties in the Cabinet Mountains and Yaak Valley area in Montana know a great deal or moderate amount about the grizzly bear recovery program in the area, while a majority support having grizzly bears there and just over half support the grizzly bear recovery efforts. |
The Future of Hunting and Shooting is a study on public attitudes toward and participation in hunting and the shooting sports and was conducted by Responsive Management in cooperation with the National Shooting Sports Foundation. A nationwide survey of ex-hunters for this study found that the top reasons hunters quit hunting are social/psychological reasons, such as amount of free time, family obligations, work obligations, and loss of interest. Trends analysis of previous Responsive Management work in 1995 show these constraints to hunting for hunters are getting worse. |
In a study examining the factors associated with canoe and kayak fatalities, Responsive Management performed regression analyses on the U.S. Coast Guard's Boating Accident Reporting Database (BARD) data from 1995 through 2004. The research found that the more people involved in the incident, the lower the fatality rate. In short, canoeing or kayaking alone increases the likelihood of being involved in a fatal accident. |
In addition to our recently completed projects and studies currently underway, Responsive Management has also recently been awarded several major projects to perform some exciting new surveys, including the Delaware Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and two 2008 Multistate Conservation Grants, one in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation on issues related to hunting access in the United States and another in partnership with the American Sportfishing Association to develop a comprehensive understanding of angler access issues. Other projects recently awarded to Responsive Management include an evaluation of boater education programs nationwide for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators; an evaluation of the National Archery in the Schools Program; surveys to better understand hunters in Washington, North Dakota, Kentucky, and Georgia and anglers in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Delaware; a study for the Bushmeat Task Force on African-Americans' attitudes toward bushmeat; and a study of knowledge of and attitudes toward issues related to shooting on federal public lands. |
Click here for a comprehensive list of recent and current survey research projects conducted by Responsive Management. |
Download the Fall 2007 Responsive Management newsletter, which highlights recent research on public opinions on alternative funding for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department as well as species management in Vermont. Best viewed with Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher. |
Our mission is to help natural resource and outdoor recreation agencies and organizations better understand and work with their constituents, customers, and the public. This is accomplished through a variety of methodologies, including telephone, mail, and web surveys; focus groups; and numerous other techniques listed on the far right side of this page. Click here to learn more about Responsive Management. |
Download a brief 4-page overview of the services Responsive Management offers as well as comments from our clients.
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