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Gladstone, Mich. -- Starting October, 2026, you may encounter employees, partners or contractors conducting public surveys on the Hiawatha National Forest. Surveys are voluntary and all responses are confidential. The information collected is useful for forest planning and local community tourism efforts.
Surveys will be conducted through September 30, 2027; names are not included and interviews last about 10 minutes.
Surveyors will be out in all types of weather conditions, wearing a high visibility vest and be near a sign that reads "Traffic Survey Ahead." They may ask:
-- Where you recreated on the forest?
-- How many people traveled with you?
-- How long were you on the forest?
-- What other recreation sites you visited while on forest and how satisfied you are with the facilities and services provided?
About one-third of survey participants will be asked to complete a confidential survey on recreation spending during their trip to measure the economic impact to local communities.
The National Visitor Use Monitoring survey is a Forest Service program designed to gauge how many people recreate on national forests and grasslands, what activities they engage in while there and how satisfied people were with their visit. These surveys are conducted on a national forest every five years.
Information about the National Visitor Use Monitoring program can be found at fs.usda.gov/about-agency.