By Ann Bond
Special to The SUN
Beginning this month, visitors to the San Juan National Forest may encounter friendly folks on backcountry roads or at campgrounds wearing bright orange vests near signs reading “Traffic Survey Ahead.”
The effort is part of a National Visitor Use Survey conducted every five years on national forests nationwide to determine what the public desires from a national forest experience.
The basic interview lasts about eight minutes. Questions may include: what area of the national forest did you visit, what type of recreation did you engage in, how many people are in your party, how long did you stay, what other areas of the forest did you visit and how satisfied were you with the facilities and services provided?
Some visitors are asked additional questions, which may take an additional five minutes, and others may be asked to complete an optional and confidential survey on recreation spending during their trip.
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