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• MB C <br /> ASSOCIATES. <br /> Preliminary Proposal for RRC Research Program — Upper Colorado River <br /> December 10, 2014 <br /> Prepared For: Upper Colorado W&S Stakeholders Group <br /> Prepared by: RRC Associates <br /> The following represents a proposal for the 2015 research effort to be conducted by RRC <br /> Associates on behalf of the Upper Colorado River W&S Stakeholders Group (SG). It is based on <br /> discussions with the Stakeholders and the Monitoring Work Group and is designed to be <br /> responsive to the available budget (estimated to be $40,000)with several additional options <br /> presented as "menu" items should additional funds become available. <br /> Based on recent discussions, RRC understands the goals of the 2015 research to be to: (a) <br /> advance the pilot effort to establish baseline measures and methods that will be used to guide <br /> research in the future, and (b) continue to assist in the evaluation and refinement of data that <br /> may be used in developing/refining the SG's provisional ORV Indicators and Resource Guides. <br /> In 2015,the effort will focus on obtaining additional valid and usable data to augment <br /> information collected in 2013/2014 and to continue to improve upon established statistical <br /> measures and protocols to ensure that research techniques can be replicated and maintained in <br /> a cost-effective manner over time. Also, efforts will be made to further evaluate opportunities <br /> to create a means of estimating visitation along the various river segments. <br /> Based on recent discussions the following priorities for research were identified: <br /> 1. Private Boaters and Anglers: Estimates of numbers of participants by day by reach based <br /> on observations on a sampling of days. The geographic area of investigation will be <br /> expanded to include study days at takeout sites located between Two Bridges and <br /> Dotsero, as determined following discussions with the Monitoring Group/Stakeholders. <br /> 2. Commercial Boaters: Continue to refine the understanding of commercial activity using <br /> the outfitters logs obtained from the BLM field offices and the USFS. Data from 2014 <br /> will be compiled (when it becomes available) and linked with survey data and traffic <br /> counts from 2014 to complete the evaluation of this summer's activity. <br /> 3. Anglers: Continue a program of targeted intercept survey-based research to provide <br /> data that could be input into Colorado State (Creel Survey) models. <br /> S <br /> 4770 Baseline Road, Suite 360 • Boulder,CO 80303 • 303/449-6558 • 303/449-6587 Fax • www.rrcassociates.com <br />