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Watch for bright orange vests in Klamath National Forest By Mail Tribune staff Updated: Oct 07, 2022 09:15 AM A A Hogan Lake is a remote lake in the Klamath National Forest. Teams will be out in the KNF for the next year asking people to answer questions as part of a survey to understand how people use the forest. [Mail Tribune/David Smigelski] If you spend time in the Klamath Mountains, don’t be surprised if you run into people conducting traffic surveys in out-of-the-way places over the next year. “They will be out in all types of weather conditions” — in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along National Forest System roads — wearing bright orange vests and stationed near signs that say, “Traffic Survey Ahead,” according to a notice published by Klamath National Forest this week. The National Visitor Use Monitoring survey is being conducted on the Klamath National Forest and will begin this month, continuing through September 2023. The information gathered is useful for forest planning as well as local community tourism planning, the agency noted. The surveys provide national forest managers with an estimate of how many people recreate on the forest, what activities they engage in while there, and how satisfied people are with their visit. Economic impact to the local economy is also captured in the survey. The NVUM survey is conducted every five years, the advisory stated. “The survey gathers basic visitor information. Surveys are voluntary and all responses are confidential. Names are not included. Interviews last about 10 minutes. Visitors who participate in the survey will be asked where and how long they recreated on the forest, how many people traveled with them, what other recreation sites were visited while on the forest, and how satisfied they are with the facilities and services provided. About one third of visitors will be asked to complete a confidential survey on recreation-related spending during their trip,” the advisory said. “Although the survey is entirely voluntary, participation is extremely important so we can assess visitor experiences on the Forest and strive to make it a better place to visit,” said Jennifer Womack, forest recreation program manager on the Klamath National Forest. “We would appreciate it if visitors would pull over and answer a few questions. It’s important for interviewers to talk with local people using the forest, as well as out-of-area visitors, so that all types of visitors are represented in the study.” Information about the NVUM program can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/nvum .