State Fish and Wildlife Agency Technical Workgroup and Independent Evaluation Team for the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation

For the 2016 survey, the workgroup recommended carrying out a “bridging” effort to conduct the survey in two ways. First, the survey would be conducted largely as it had been in recent years, using similar sampling and data collection methods. It would produce national estimates and estimates for four states that were chosen as comparison states (Maine, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Virginia). This survey is titled “National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation,” In the second, new methods could be used to produce estimates for the nation and all 50 states. This survey is titled “50 State Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation”. Carrying out these two parallel survey efforts was intended to allow for the exploration of more cost-efficient ways to conduct the survey and for comparability to previous years’ surveys. 
The National Survey Technical Workgroup is chaired by John Arway, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.  Director Arway is leading a team of technical experts from state agencies nationwide.  These experts include natural and social scientists with expertise in biology, statistics, human dimensions research, and survey methodology.  
The workgroup held its first meeting in July 2013 to develop thoughts regarding an approach for the 2016 National Survey and a plan for the future of the survey.  The workgroup’s primary task is to review and recommend changes in methodology that will increase the accuracy of the survey.  The workgroup defines accuracy as a combination of both precision and bias.
The workgroup’s focus on accuracy is a direct result of increased concern among state fish and wildlife agency directors.  Directors have expressed concerns with the quality of data resulting from small sample sizes in some states; non-correlation with other well-known quantifiable measures of participation rates for fishing and hunting such as license sale data; overall survey cost when compared with data quality; and costs for computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) techniques.
Importantly the workgroup has been very active in coordinating the implementation of an alternative survey methodology that can potentially increase sample size and accuracy without a corresponding increase in cost.  This grant has also resulted in discussions with several industry partners about the potential for future enhancements to the survey.
An independent evaluation team of statisticians and survey methodologists was formed to evaluate the two survey efforts.
The evaluation team met at the AFWA offices in Washington, DC, to continue the evaluation efforts begun in 2017. At this meeting, discussion and revisions of a draft report, delivered to the Technical Workgroup in January 2019, were conducted, and recommendations were developed from the report.   This draft was presented at an open session at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in March 2018 in Norfolk, VA.  Two members of the evaluation team, the technical consultant, and members of the technical workgroup were present and participated in this session.  Evaluation team members presented the strengths and weaknesses of the different methodologies.  The potential implications of the report recommendations on future surveys were also discussed. 
Throughout the process, the evaluation team asked clarifying questions and requested information as needed from Census, Rockville, and FWS to aid their work. All three organizations graciously accommodated it. 
AFWA created a ‘New Vision’ for the National survey based on the evaluation report, which will guide future surveys.
The National Survey Technical Work Group (NSTWG) was expanded for the 2021 Survey to represent all the regions. Two co-chairs (State Directors) were appointed to lead the 2021 National Survey efforts. NSTWG had its first meeting in Denver, CO, on December 2018, where they started the discussions for the 2021 survey.
Through this grant, the Association hired a consultant with significant experience in working on the National Survey to provide technical expertise to the workgroup. This expert has decades of experience with statistics, survey methodology, human dimensions research, and other related technical issues with conducting the National Survey.