Survey Results

GRIP Survey Participants,

We appreciate your input and feedback on the Grassland Restoration Incentive Program and how OPJV can better deliver native grasslands conservation. Thank you for taking some of your valuable time to help us in this endeavor. We wanted to make sure we shared the results and provide some insight into what our next steps will likely be following your input. This document is meant to provide results from the survey you participated in this past summer. We have mailed a one-page document that highlights some of the most important points that were received from the survey. This document, accessed from the mailed document, will indicate the answer most selected for each survey question. If you have any other questions that are not answered by this document, please reach out to Derek Wiley at derek.wiley@tpwd.texas.gov or 512-902-7379. Again, we greatly appreciate the time and efforts taken to complete the survey and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Yours in Conservation,

Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture Staff

Questions are written as phrased in the survey you received this summer. Average responses from participants are indicated in green following the question. Some responses are ranked according to the number of responses received. These responses are indicated as a. the response most given, b. the second highest response, and if necessary, c. the third highest response. An example would be number 1 with multiple options allowable. Most questions throughout the survey were given a ranking from 1-4. Generally, a response of 1 was ranked low or the corresponding response on the survey would be very negative and 4 was ranked high and would be very positive. Responses that averaged higher than 3 indicate positive responses and lower than 2 indicate negative responses. There are a few exceptions to this rule with questions 13, and 14 where the questions were ranked based on barriers or importance. An answer of 1 indicated that the question was not a barrier or not important, an answer of 4 indicated a large barrier or very important.

Results

What information sources did you use to find out more about GRIP? Conservation professionals.
What is your most preferred method of hearing information about GRIP in the future? (# of responses received).
1. Conservation professionals
2. Email
Please rate your overall experience (past or current) with GRIP. – 3.6.
Please rate the quality of your experiences with the following aspects of GRIP.
1. Application process – 3.3.
2. Complying with GRIP rules and regulations – 3.4.
3. Reimbursement process – 3.3.
4. Obtaining additional information about the program – 3.2.
5. Obtaining technical assistance related to the program – 3.5.
What was the main reason that you participated in GRIP? (# of responses received).
1. I wanted to improve grassland bird habitat.
2. I wanted to make the land better for my children/future generations
3. I wanted to improve the environmental quality of my property.
Which conservation practices did you get paid to conduct as part of your participation in GRIP? Prescribed fire and brush management.
Who did you interact with the most related to your participation in GRIP? (# of responses received).
1. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Staff
2. Quail Forever Staff
3. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Staff
4. Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture (OPJV) Staff
5. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) Staff
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about your experience with the person you interacted with most related to GRIP (that you identified in Q7 above).
1. I trusted the expertise of this person – 3.7.
2. I felt that I had similar values to this person – 3.6.
3. I believe that this person properly informed me about how to enroll in GRIP – 3.6.
4. I believe that this person properly informed me about the rules and regulations of GRIP – 3.6.
Please rate your amount of communication with the person that you interacted with most related to GRIP (that you identified in Q7 above). About the right frequency.
Please indicate your desired frequency of communication with GRIP staff between practice implementation and contract end. - Quarterly.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements related to your GRIP experience.
1. GRIP fulfilled my expectations – 3.4.
2. GRIP helped me accomplish my management goals for my enrolled property – 3.3.
3. Without GRIP, I would not have conducted these management practices on my own – 3.2.
Participating in GRIP gave me more confidence:
1. enrolling in other conservation programs. – 3.1.
2. continuing the practices funded by GRIP after my contract ended. – 3.3.
3. conducting new conservation practices (not funded by GRIP) after my contract ended. – 3.2.
To what extent was each item a barrier to participating in GRIP?
1. Time needed to complete practice(s) funded by GRIP? – 1.9.
2. Liability concerns with practice(s) funded by GRIP? – 1.4.
3. Equipment needed to conduct practice(s) funded by GRIP? – 2.0.
4. Other barrier experienced (write in response, if experienced)
How important are the following potential GRIP improvements to you?
1. Improve contract language – 1.9.
2. Improve electronic signature process – 1.8.
3. Conduct follow-up communications with participants after contract completion – 2.5.
After your GRIP contract ended, what are your thoughts and opinions about the quality or relative amount of the following characteristics of this acreage that occurred as the result of the practices you implemented through GRIP? As the result of practices implemented through GRIP, I experienced:
1. improvement in grassland bird habitat quality. – 3.4.
2. increases in forage quality. – 3.3.
3. increases in grazable acres. – 3.3.
Please indicate which conservation practices you have:
1. Maintained (started during GRIP) after your most recent contract expired. Prescribed Fire, Firebreaks, Brush Management
2. Started after your GRIP contract expired. Prescribed Grazing.
How important were each of the following financial and resource considerations in your conservation practice decisions (detailed in Q16 above) after your GRIP contract ended?
1. Cost or availability of equipment needed to conduct practice – very important.
2. Availability of technical assistance – very important.
3. Climate variables (e.g., rainfall, temperature) – very important.
4. Access to water (for irrigation/cattle) – not important.
5. Physical features of land (e.g., slope, terrain) – split between not important and somewhat important.
6. Desire to maximize profits and/or increase financial sustainability – evenly split amongst all respondents.
How important were each of the following other considerations in your conservation practice decisions after your GRIP contract ended?
1. Improve grassland bird habitat – very important.
2. Improve forage quality and/or quantity – very important.
3. Improve water quality and/or quantity – very important.
4. Increase the beauty of this property – very important.
5. Increase grazable acres – very important.
6. Minimize wildfire risk – very important.
7. Keep this property in my family for generations to come – very important.
8. Follow what my neighbors and/or family advise – not important.
Since participating in the Grassland Restoration Incentive Program (GRIP), which other conservation activities have you continued (if started during your participation in the program) OR started since your GRIP contract ended? (# of responses received).
1. Talked to someone about the specific practices you conducted in GRIP.
2. Talked to someone about GRIP in general.
3. Attended a conservation field day.
What is the primary use of the property (currently or formerly enrolled in GRIP)? (# of responses received).
1. Raising livestock
2. Recreation.
In what year were you born? 1958.
Are you Male, Female, Non-binary, prefer not to answer? Male.
What is your occupation? (# of responses received).
1. Retired
2. Full time producer