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Attachment 5 : Preview Letter to Mail Survey Recipients

Dear Resident:

I am writing to let you know about an important survey about the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding

watershed (the area where water eventually drains into the Chesapeake Bay). The Chesapeake Bay is the

largest estuary in North America and t he third largest in the world.

This survey, The Future of the Chesapeake Bay , will help polic y makers from the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency and state governments better understand your opinions about programs that would

affect the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Your address was randomly selected to receive a s urvey about these programs as part of a regional

sample of households. < Although your address is outside the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, y o u r

o p i n i o n s a r e i m p o r t a n t

. > < Your address is inside the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and we would

like your opinions. >

Sometime in the next few weeks you will receive the survey booklet by mail. Your participation is

completely voluntary and there are no penalties for not answering any questions. Your answers will be

kept confidential to the extent permitted by law.

Even if you are not familiar with the Chesapeake Bay, y our help is essential to ensure that the survey

results are as complete and accurate as possible

. We cannot send this survey to everyone, so your

answers will represent the opinions of othe r residents in your state who are similar to you and your

household.

Please keep in mind that by quickly returning your complete d survey you will be helping to keep down

the costs of collecting this information

.

T hank you in advance for your assistanc e in this project.

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME ], [INSERT TITLE]

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

National Center for Environmental Economics2

Attachment 6 : Cover Letter to Mail Survey Recipients

Dear Resident:

You recently received a letter informing you that your household was selected at random to receive a

survey about new programs affecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. You were selected for this

survey because, as a resident who lives < inside > <outside > the Chesapeak e Bay Watershed , your

opinions are important. The survey, The Future of the Chesapeake Bay , accompanies this letter.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state governments are considering new programs that

could affect water quality, aquatic wi ldlife and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. These

programs differ in their outcomes and their costs.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information policy makers will use to make decisions about these

programs. It should take 15 to 20 minutes of your time. This survey...

Asks about your experiences and opinions relating to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Describes current conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the Watershed.

Presents different options for improving conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the

Watershed, and asks which of these options you would vote for.

We need your opinions. Your responses to this survey will help inform policy decisions. Please take

the time to read the information in this survey and answer the questions carefully.

All answers to the survey will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. Once we have

received your survey, we will delete your name from all lists, so that your responses can never be traced

back to you. Of course, your participation is voluntary.

Thank you for your assistance in this project. We would greatly appreciate if you could complete and

return the survey using the prepaid envelope in the next week.

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME] , [INSERT TITLE]

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

National Center for Environmental Economics3

Attachment 7 : Post Card Reminder to Mail Survey Recipients

FRONT

BACK OMB Control No. xxxx

- xxxx

Last week a survey

, The Future of the Chesapeake Bay

, was mailed to you

concerning new programs affecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and

lakes in the Watershed. If you have already returned your completed

survey, please accept our sincere thanks.

If you have not yet completed your survey, we ask that you please do so

today. As a resident who lives < inside > <outside > the Watershed

, you are

one of a select few who have been chosen to participate . Y our answers will

help us understand your opinions about these new programs.

If you did not receive the survey or it was misplaced , please contact TBD at

(###) ###

- #### or xxx@xxx and we will send a replacement tod ay

.

Regards,

[INSERT NAME]

Environmental Protection Agency

United States Last week a survey was mailed to you concerning

Environmental Protection Agency and government regulatiNortheast

Washington, DC 20460 you have already returned your completed

Mail Code XXX our sincere thanks.4

Attachment 8 : Cover Letter to Recipients of the Second Survey Mailing

Dear Resident:

Within the last few weeks a survey

, The Future of the Chesapeake Bay, was sent to you about new

programs affecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

I f y o u h a v e a l r e a d y r e t u r n e d y o u r c o m p l e t e d s u r v e y

, p l e a s e d i s r e g a r d t h i s l e t t e r

. O t h e r w i s e

, p l e a s e

complete t h e e n c l o s e d s u r v e y a n d r e t u r n u s i n g t h e p r e p a i d e n v e l o p e

.

You are one of a select few who have been chosen to participate

. You wer e selected for this survey

because, as a resident who lives < inside > <outside > the Chesapeake Bay Watershed , your opinions

are important to policy makers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state governments are considering new programs that

c ould affect water quality, aquatic wildlife and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. These

programs differ in their outcomes and their costs.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information policy makers will use to make decisions about the se programs. It should take 15 to 20 minutes of your time. This survey...

Asks about your experiences and opinions relating to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Describes current conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the Watershed.

Presents differen t options for improving conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the

Watershed, and asks which of these options you would vote for.

We need your opinions. Your responses to this survey will help inform policy decisions. Please take

the time to re ad the information in this survey and answer the questions carefully.

All answers to the survey will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. Once we have

received your survey, we will delete your name from all lists, so that your responses can never be traced

back to you. Of course, your participation is voluntary.

Thank you for your assistance in this project. We would greatly appreciate if you could complete and

return the survey using the prepaid envelope in the next week.

Sincerel y,

[INSERT NAME ], [INSERT TITLE]

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

National Center for Environmental Economics5

Attachment 9 : Reminder Letter to Recipients of the Second Survey Mailing

Dear Resident:

Within the last week a survey

, The Future of the Chesapeake Bay, was mailed to you concerning

programs affecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. If

you have not yet completed your survey, we ask that you please do so today. You are one of a select few

who have been chosen to participate . A s a resident who lives < inside > <outside > the Chesapeake Bay

Watershed, your opinions are extremely important to policy makers, and are needed to ensure that the

survey results are complete and accurate.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state governments are considering new programs that

could affect water quality, a quatic wildlife and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. These

programs differ in their outcomes and their costs.

The purpose of this survey is to collect information policy makers will use to make decisions about these

programs. It should ta ke about 15 to 20 minutes of your time. This survey...

Asks about your experiences and opinions relating to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Describes current conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the Watershed.

Presents different options for improvin g conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in the

Watershed, and asks which of these options you would vote for.

We need your opinions. Your responses to this survey will help inform policy decisions. Please take

the time to read the information in this survey and answer the questions carefully.

All answers to the survey will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. Once we have

received your survey, we will delete your name from all lists, so that your responses can never be traced

ba ck to you. Of course, your participation is voluntary.

We thank you for your assistance in this project. We would greatly appreciate if you could return the

completed survey using the prepaid envelope in the near future. If you have misplaced your survey,

please contact TBD at (###) ###

- ### or XXX@XXX for a replacement.

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME ], [INSERT TITLE]

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

National Center for Environmental Economics6

Attachment 10 : Cover Letter to Recipients of the Priority Mail Non

- response Questionnaire

Dear Resident:

Within the last week a survey

, The Future of the Chesapeake Bay, was mailed to you concerning new

programs affecting water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding ar eas. Through a random

process, your address was selected to receive the survey. Our records indicate that you did not return the

completed survey.

While we are no longer asking that you complete the full survey, a brief questionnaire is enclosed with

thi s letter . It should take no more than 5 minutes of your time. Also included is a small token of our

appreciation which is yours to keep.

You were selected for this study because you are a resident who lives < inside > <outside > the

Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Your answers to the questionnaire will help policy makers from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency and state governments better understand opinions about p rograms

which would affect water quality, aquatic wildlife, and recreation in the Chesapeake Bay and lakes in

the Chesapeake Watershed . By filling out this survey , you will be participating in an important study

that will help policy makers understand your opinions about these programs.

Your responses to this questionnaire are extreme ly import ant to ensure that the results are complete and

accurate . All answers to the survey are kept confidential to the extent permitted by law . Once we have

received your survey , we will delete your name from all lists, so that your responses can never be traced

back to you. Of course, your participation is voluntary and you may refuse to answer any or all

questions.

We thank you for your assistance in this project. We would greatly appreciate if you could return the

survey in the next several days

.

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME] , [INSERT TITLE]

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency

National Center for Environmental Economics