Fiscal Year 2016 Mid-Year Recreation Management Information System Data Call
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240-0036
http://www.blm.gov
March 1, 2016
In Reply Refer To:
8300 (250) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 03/02/2016
Instruction Memorandum No. 2016-046
Expires: 09/30/2019
To: All Field Office Officials
Attn: State Recreation Program Leads, Outdoor Recreation Planners
From: Assistant Director, Resources and Planning
Subject: Fiscal Year 2016 Mid-Year Recreation Management Information System Data Call
DD: 05/09/2016; 06/06/2016
Program Area: Recreation
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to inform state directors and field managers about the FY 2016 Mid-Year Data Call for the Recreation Management Information System (RMIS) and to request state and field offices to complete the mid-year data call by May 9, 2016. State Recreation Program leads should complete review of the field offices’ mid-year data call by June 6, 2016.
Policy/Action: All offices are requested to focus on: Visitor Use Formulas and Special Recreation Permits (SRP); both commercial and non-commercial private use should be reviewed and updated. Offices should also consider updating their RMIS data for Sites, National Conservation Lands, recreational shooting and hunting, and travel and transportation management. Visitor use from October 1, 2015 to March 30, 2016, should be added if that information is available.
Recreation Sites and SRP formulas must be reviewed for accuracy. Visits and visitor days represent the official legacy of the Recreation Visitor Services program and it is important that we insure the data is accurate.
State Recreation Program leads should review their respective field offices’ data for completeness and accuracy. A reply memorandum should be sent to the Recreation and Visitor Services Division Chief (WO-250) when the review is completed. Identify any unresolved issues that need attention before the end-of-the-year data call.
Time Frame: Field offices will have at least four weeks to complete the requirements of this data call. State Recreation Program leads will then have 3 weeks to review their respective mid-year data, and assist field offices with correcting errors and identifying and entering missing data.
The RMIS Team will be available to assist both state and field offices with RMIS concepts, updating formulas, entering data, and understanding the functionality of the system.
Budget Impact: For some offices, this IM may result in additional workload estimated at 1 to 3 work days; however, this added workload will provide the time necessary to thoroughly review field office data prior to the typical end-of-year data crunch and to correct any unidentified problems. The end-of-year RMIS data call will take place during the month of September, as has been the usual practice.
For the collecting, entering and maintaining recreation data in RMIS, use Program Element MA for reporting labor cost.
Background: Until recently, most RMIS data has been entered during the end-of-the-year period. Fiscal Year 2016 marks the second time in 10 years where both a mid-year and end-of-year data call will be required. This provides an opportunity for a thorough quality assurance review and helps avoid the end-of-year rush that is problematic. The Washington Office is aware that updating RMIS data more than once a year creates an additional workload. However, this limited data call on just two focus areas will assist the offices in providing better data and should lessen the workload at the end of year.
Information on bringing Visitor Use Formulas and SRPs up to date is available online.
The RMIS User Information website includes links to the RMIS User Guide, and Guidelines for Reporting Recreation Visitation.It also serves as a helpful resource for RMIS Users and Guests. There are also reference documents available through this website, including “Techniques and Equipment for Gathering Visitor Use Data on Recreation Sites”.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: None.
Coordination: Development of this IM was coordinated with State Recreation Program leads.
Contact: The RMIS Team Contact list is available at the RMIS User Information website for use by the State Recreation Program leads and field office users. Users in each state are directed to a primary RMIS contact for assistance in completing this data call. Anyone on the list may be contacted if the primary RMIS contact is not available. If there are any questions regarding this IM, please contact David Baker, RMIS Project Manager by email djbaker@blm.gov or by telephone at 303-236-6313.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Michael H. Tupper Robert M. Williams
Acting, Assistant Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-860
Resources and Planning