Hudson Valley Landowner Survey Reveals Stream Management Preferences

Survey of Streamside
Landowners in the Hudson
Valley
Results

Presentation Outline
 Survey Purpose
 Methods
 Response
 Non-bias telephone survey
 Results

Purpose
1. Understand how and why streamside
landowners in the Hudson Valley manage their
streams and streamside land, especially in
relation to flooding
2. Investigate flood risk perception of Hudson
Valley streamside landowners
3. Determine the flood and stream management
education needs communication preferences of
streamside landowners in the Hudson Valley

Methods
Target watersheds
within the Hudson
Valley, NY

Methods
 2,000 private property addresses with at least 1 acre of
streamside land (within 100 feet of a stream)
 Survey and reminders sent via 4 mailings in October &
November, 2013
 Phone survey non-response bias data collection
conducted by SRI in December 2013

Non-respondent phone
survey
Phone survey included a subset of items from the mail
questionnaire to compare respondents and non-respondents:
 Feet of streamside land owned
 Primary use of streamside land
 Amount of flooding experience
 Perceived causes of flooding
 Communication preferences
 Membership in a wildlife conservation organization
 County of primary residence

Survey Response
 2000 surveys sent
 Adjusted response rate: 29.1%
 534 completed the survey
 126 undeliverable
 36 ineligible
 19 refused
 No significant difference in response rate between
incentive & non incentives
 50 non-respondents surveyed via phone

Phone Survey of Non-respondents
Results
1. Primary uses for streamside land
Significantly fewer respondents of the mail survey than the phone survey use their property for woodland or
monetary investment.
2. Causes of flooding
Respondents of the mail survey agree significantly more than respondents of the phone survey that
structures near my land and hard surfaces caused the most recent flood event
3. Communication preferences
The following are significantly more effective for communicating information to respondents of the mail
survey than the phone survey:
 Email newsletter
 Information in the mail
 A website
 A site visit
4. Significantly more respondents of the phone survey than the mail survey live in counties other than what
we listed on the survey

Q21. In which county is your primary residence? n=537
RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS
County N Percent
Ulster 122 23%
Columbia 86 16%
Other 58 11%
Greene 56 10%
Rensselaer 52 10%
Dutchess 52 10%
NYC 34 6%
Orange 29 5%
Albany 27 5%
Putnam 13 2%
Schoharie 8 2%

Q22. What is your race? (Check all that apply.)
85%
1%
3%
White
Black/African American
Native-American
Asian
Other

Q20. What is your age? n=490
0.4% 0.4%
4%
17%
34%
45%
18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 54-65 65+
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Age
PercentofRespondents RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Q23. What is your political ideology? n=461
Political Ideology was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = very liberal and 7 = very
conservative
13% 14% 13%
25%
12% 13%
10%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
PercentofRespondents
Political Ideology

Q19. Are you a member of a conservation organization? n=480
24%
76%
Yes
No

Q19. Are you a member of a conservation organization?
Responses with frequency > 3
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Adirondack Council
Appalachian Mountain Club
Greenpeace
Open Space Institute
Renssselaer Plateau Alliance
Trout unlimited
Wallkill Valley Land Trust
Arbor Day Foundation
Hudson Highland Land Trust
Rondout Esopus Land Conservancy
Audubon
Mohonk Preserve
National Wildlife Federation
Scenic Hudson
Columbia Land Conservancy
NY Forest Owners Association
Sierra Club
The Nature Conservancy
Frequency of response
Organization

Q1. How many feet of streamside land do you own? n=527
5%
25%
69%
< 100 feet
101 to 500 feet
> 500 feet

Q2. How long have you owned your streamside land? n=531
0.2%
15%
85%
< 1 year
1 to 10 years
> 10 years

Q3. Please indicate the primary uses for your streamside land. (Check all that
apply) Note: Percentages are of responses, not respondents, because respondents could
choose more than one response.
50%
41%
20% 19%
12%
7% 6% 5%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
PercentofRespondents
Primary uses

Q3. Primary uses for your streamside land: “Other” responses. n=40 Note: Not all
respondents chose this response and some respondents listed more than one “other” use.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A place to "escape"
Art studio
Birding
Building lot
Lumber
Nursery
Outlet for lake
Pressure
Mowed fields
Non-water recreation
Camping
No present use
Business
Conservation
Home for wildlife
Hunting/fishing
Primaryuses RESPONDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Q17. Is all or part of your property in a Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA)-designated 100-year floodplain? n=487
16%
32%
52%
Yes
No
I don't know
EXPERIENCE WITH FLOODING

Q18. Do you have flood insurance? n=491
5%
80%
7%
Yes
No
I don't know

Q4. How often have you experienced flooding on your land? n=523
28%
46%
15%
11%
Never
Once every few years
Yearly
More than once per
year

Q5. What kind of flood-related damage have you experienced? (Check all that
apply.) Note: Percentages are of responses, not respondents, because respondents could
choose more than one response.
28%
25%11%
8%
7%
7%
7%
5%
Yard flooding
None
Flooding of structure other than
primary residence
Flooding in the primary residence
Field/ pasutre flooded
Erosion
Access*
Other
*Access includes: driveway, road, and bridge damage

Q5. What kind of flood-related damage have you experienced: Other responses
n=176 Note: Some respondents listed more than one “other” type of damage.
0 5 10 15
Beach flooding
Business damage
Damage to spillway
Loss of residence
Saturated land
Pond damage
Flood plain
Culvert damage
Loss of land
Stream blocked/ water backup
Flooded woodland
Stream course change
Below ground/basement
Debris/Flotsam
Crop/ agriculture damage
Damage to trees or shrubs
Structure or equipment damage
Typeofdamage EXPERIENCE WITH FLOODING

Q6. How much money have you spent in the last 5 years for repairs of flood
damage? n=356
51%
30%
20%
None
< $5000
> $5000

Q7. To what extent do you agree or disagree that each of the following was a
cause of the most recent flood event on your property? Agreement was
measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = disagree and 7 = agree
1.9
2.1
2.5
2.6
3.4
4.1
6.5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Hard surfaces
Uncertain of the cause
Upstream activities
Structures near my land
Debris in the water
Ice/snow spring runoff
Heavy rains
Mean agreement
Causeofflooding EXPERIENCE WITH FLOODING

Q7. Flood causes: “Other” described responses n=93 Note: Some respondents listed
more than one “other” cause of flooding.
Cause of flood N
Hurricane/ Storms 19
Beaver activity 15
Sediment in stream 5
No flood 4
Stream back up 4
Activity on neighboring land 3
Bridges 3
Roads 3
Climate change 2
Creek bank erosion 2
Ice 2
Logging 2
Natural causes 2
Releases 2
Runoff 2
Lakes not lowered during storms 2
DEC Activities 1
Discharge from reservoir 1
Downstream 1
Eroded stream bank 1
Ground saturation 1
High water table 1
Highway Superintendent 1
Lowland 1
Natural ponds 1
Off-road vehicles cause erosion 1
Storm surge 1
Unauthorized dumping 1

Q8. Please indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the
following statements. Agreement was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 =
disagree and 7 = agree
3.9
3.6
3.4
1.7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
My property is at risk
for flooding
Flooding impacts my
property value
My property will be
damaged if it floods
I am in physical danger
if my property floods
Meanagreement
Risk perception
FLOOD RISK PERCEPTION

4.4
4.2
3.2
3.0
2.4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I consider how actions on my land may affect
flooding on my land
I consider how actions on my land may affect
flooding on my neighbors' land
Culverts near my property increase my risk for
flooding
I do activities on my land that decrease impacts of
flooding on my land
A dam near my property increases my risk for
flooding
Mean agreement
Riskperception FLOOD RISK PERCEPTION

3.1
3.6
3.8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Flooding is a problem on my
land
Flooding will be a problem in
the future on my land
I have flooding, but it's not
currently a problem on my land
Meanagreement
Risk perception
FLOOD RISK PERCEPTION

STREAM MANAGEMENT BEHAVIORS
Qs 10&11
Stream Management Behavior Mean attitude* Done in past %(n)
Likelihood in
future**
Remove debris from stream 5.3 30% (161) 3.9
Plant/maintain streambank vegetation 5.2 20% (107) 3.0
Participate in a watershed organization 4.1 4% (21) 2.6
Remove sediment from stream 3.4 7% (36) 1.7
Remove vegetation from streambank 3.3 18% (96) 2.3
Straighten streambank 3.1 6% (34) 1.5
Mow to edge of stream 3.0 13% (67) 2.3
Collect runoff 3.0 3% (17) 1.4
Extract water from stream 2.9 7% (36) 1.8
Dam stream 1.9 3% (15) 1.2
*Attitude was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = negative and 7 = positive
**Likelihood was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not at all likely and 7 = very likely

ATTITUDE
Q10. The following are activities some people do with their streamside land.
Please indicate how positive or negative you feel about each of the activities,
whether you have done them or not. Attitude was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale
where 1 = negative and 7 = positive
1.9
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.1
3.3
3.4
4.1
5.2
5.3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dam stream
Extract water from stream
Mow to edge of stream
Collect runoff
Straighten streambank
Remove vegetation from streambank
Remove sediment from stream
Participate in a watershed organization
Plant/maintain vegetation along streambank
Remove debris from stream
Mean attitude
Activity STREAM MANAGEMENT

78%
18%
3% 1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
None 1 2 3
Percentofrespondents
Number of beneficial behaviors* performed
*Beneficial behaviors: Plant/maintain vegetation along streambank; Collect runoff; Participate in a
watershed organization
STREAM MANAGEMENT
Please indicate if you have done (or have had someone do) the following on
your streamside land or in the water in the past two years.
SUMMATED SCALE: BENEFICIAL PAST BEHAVIORS MEAN = 0.27

59%
18%
12%
7%
2% 2% 1% 0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
None 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Number of detrimental behaviors* performed
*Detrimental behaviors: Remove debris from stream; remove vegetation from streambank; mow to
edge of stream; extract water from stream; straighten streambank; dam stream; remove sediment
from stream
STREAM MANAGEMENT
Please indicate if you have done (or have had someone do) the following on your
streamside land or in the water in the past two years.
SUMMATED SCALE: DETRIMENTAL PAST BEHAVIORS
MEAN = 0.83

FUTURE BEHAVIORAL INTENT
Please indicate how likely you are to do (or have someone do) each of the
following on your land or in the water within the next year. Likelihood was measured
on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not at all likely and 7 = very likely
1.2
1.4
1.5
1.7
1.8
2.3
2.3
2.6
3.0
3.9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Dam stream
Collect runoff
Straighten streambank
Remove sediment from stream
Extract water from stream
Remove vegetation from streambank
Mow to edge of stream
Participate in a watershed organization
Plant/maintain vegetation along…
Remove debris from stream
Mean likelihood
MgmtActivity STREAM MANAGEMENT

SUMMATED SCALE – FUTURE BEHAVIORS
Likelihood was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not at all likely and 7 = very likely
2.3 2.1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Beneficial behaviors* Detrimental behaviors**
MeanLikelihood
Future behavioral intent
*Beneficial behaviors: Plant/maintain vegetation along streambank; Collect runoff; Participate in a watershed
organization
**Detrimental behaviors: Remove debris from stream; remove vegetation from streambank; mow to edge of
stream; remove water from stream; straighten streambank; dam stream; remove sediment from stream
STREAM MANAGEMENT

GROUP MEAN = 4.3
4.8
4.6
3.5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
People in my household believe that stream
management to reduce flooding is important
People I know believe that using stream
management to reduce flooding is important
The stream management activities my neighbors
conduct on their land influences what I do on mine
Mean Agreement
NormativeStatement
SOCIETAL NORMS

GROUP MEAN = 4.0
4.9
3.9
3.9
3.5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Doing flood management activities on my
property is completely up to me.
I am able to get information and I need to help
manage flooding on my land
I am aware of the rules, laws, and regulations
pertaining to how I may use my streamside
land.
I am aware of where to get information I need
to help manage flooding on my land
Mean Agreement
BehavioralControlStatement BEHAVIORAL CONTROL

Q13. To what extent does each of the following reasons limit the activities you
do on your streamside land to control or prevent flooding? Limitation was measured
on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not limiting at all and 7 = very limiting
1.9
2.5
2.6
2.6
2.9
3.1
3.4
3.7
3.9
4.0
4.5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I don’t have enough land
I don’t have enough interest
I don’t know why I should
Lack support from fam/friends
It wouldn't make a difference
I don’t feel there is a need to
I don’t know how
The government prevents me
I don’t have enough time
I don’t have technical support
I don’t have enough money
Mean limitation
Barrier BARRIERS

FACTOR ANALYSIS
Limitation was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not limiting at all and 7 = very limiting
3.6
2.6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Lack of resources* Lack of interest**
Meanlimitation
Barrier
*Scale includes: I don't have enough money; I don't have technical support; I don't have enough time; I don't know
how; the government prevents me; I don't have enough support from fam/friends; Cronbach’s Alpha = .783
**Scale includes: I don't know why I should; I don't think it makes a difference; I don't have enough interest; I don't
feel there is a need; I don't have enough land; Cronbach’s Alpha = .783
BARRIERS

Q13. Responses in “Other” category
Limitation Frequency of mention
Government 14
No need 8
Access 5
Age/ Health 4
Cost 3
Culvert 1
Damaged property 1
DEP is Responsible 1
Done everything I need to 1
Don't know 1
Don't know if I should 1
Don't know what is allowed 1
Don't know what to do 1
ENCON 1
Erosion undermining trees 1
Flooding is beyond my control 1
Howard Commander and LV racetrack 1
I've had it. Done. Spent thousands. Made it worse. 1
Letting our land flood helps keep Wappinger Creek from flooding worse. 1
No desire to control nature 1
No help from neighbors 1
No local support 1
No potential 1
Poison ivy 1
Risk versus cost trade-off once every 50 years--is it worth it? 1
Stream feeds reservoir 1
Too much work 1
Water is v far from res. 1
BARRIERS

Q14. How effective would each of the following be in communicating information
to you regarding stream management and flooding? Effectiveness was measured on a
7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not at all effective and 7 = very effective
5.2
4.6 4.5
4.2
3.1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Information in
the mail
Website Site visit Email
newsletter
Telephone
Meaneffectiveness
Communication type
COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES

Q15. How likely would you be to participate in a program such as Trees for Tribs
in the future? Likelihood was measured on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not at all likely
and 7 = very likely
28%
8%
4%
12% 12%
10%
25%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Not at all
likely
2 3 4 5 6 Very
likely
Likelihood of participation
EDUCATION PREFERENCES

Q16. What kind of educational programs might you be interested in about flood
management on your land? (Check all that apply.) Note: Percentages are of responses,
not respondents, because respondents could choose more than one response.
31%
29%29%
32%
Not interested in
educational events
In-person workshop
Hands-on technical
training in the field
Online learning
EDUCATION PREFERENCES

Q16. What kind of educational programs might you be interested in about
flood management on your land? n = 25 Other responses
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Educate local land trust
Education won't help
Educational events
Films
Info affecting community
Landscaping
Money
Neighbors by creek
Specific to my stream profile
Stewardship
Mailings
Phone call
Technical assistance
Site visit
Literature
EducationInterest EDUCATION PREFERENCES

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