Pre-Implementation Interview Questions |
Prior to Interview (UI only): Have you been interviewed by researchers from UConn in the past year? Have you been trained to remove trees in a way that produces logs that can be sold? |
Initial Questions:(1) Do you work primarily in urban, suburban, or rural areas, or do you work in all of these settings? (2) About how many trees do you remove or trim in a typical day? (3) Can you walk me through how you go about removing the tree? (a) In what order are parts of the tree removed? (b) What parts are chipped or cut up? Prompt: Approximately what diameter material is chipped? (c) How large are pieces cut for those parts of the tree that are not chipped?
(4) Where does the wood from tree removals and trimming go after you leave the site for the day? (a) In your experience, where do the chips go? (b) Where does the rest of the wood go? (c) How often do homeowners ask to keep the wood? Prompt: About what percentage of the time would you estimate that this happens? (d) When they ask to keep the wood, do you cut it differently? (e) If homeowners do not keep the wood, how often is it picked up by other people in your experience? Prompt: About what percentage of the time would you estimate that this happens? (f) How often does it need to be picked up by your company for disposal? Prompt: About what percentage of the time would you estimate that this happens?
(5) When you’re removing trees, do you have any interaction with the homeowners? (a) If yes, what does that usually involve? (b) Do you have any interaction with other people passing by?
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Program Explanation: |
[UI/Eversource] is considering a new process for removing trees that will result in logs that can be sold. The revenue from these logs would be given to the town from which the trees were removed to fund tree-planting programs. This process would involve cutting branches closer to the truck, identifying logs that are of high enough quality for sale, and cutting the butt log of the tree to a length of 8′8″ or more whenever it is safe and practical to do so. [Participants were shown a diagram similar to Figure 1 to clarify the explanation.] We are interested in your opinions about this new program.(1) Does this explanation make sense to you or do you have any questions about the process? (2) Do you have any experience working with this process? (3) If you were asked to implement this new process, what barriers or challenges might you anticipate? Do you have any concerns about the new process? Prompts: Concerns about time, safety, costs?
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UI Post-Implementation Interviews (1) |
(1) Have you recently received direction from UI to make some changes in how the wood is cut during tree removals? (a) If yes, proceed to Question 2. (b) If no, prompt: Have you been asked by your foreman or anyone from UI to cut longer logs when removing trees? (c) If yes, proceed to Question 2. (d) If no, proceed to Question 4.
(2) Who did you receive the directions from? (e.g., foreman, directly from UI) (3) Did UI provide information about why these changes were made? (a) If yes, proceed to Question 5. (b) If no, proceed to Question 4.
(4) Have you heard of the biomass recovery program initiated by UI? (a) If yes, proceed to Question 5. (b) If no, prompt: UI is requesting that the logs be left long (greater than 8 feet) whenever possible so that they can be collected and sold to log buyers. The money from these sales will be given to the town of North Haven (or other towns as appropriate) for a tree planting program. Does this sound familiar? (c) If yes, proceed to Question 6. (d) If no, proceed to Question 9.
(5) What information did you receive about why the changes were made? (6) Can you briefly explain the protocol you are following for the biomass recovery protocol? (7) Have you encountered any issues in the process? (e.g., clarity of communication with the process, personal safety issues, etc.) (8) Have you had any interaction with a UI representative to receive feedback about the harvesting process? If so, what did that feedback include? Have you received any feedback from your foreman or another supervisor? (9) Do you have any interaction with homeowners when you are removing trees? If so, what does that interaction usually involve? (10) Have you encountered individuals who have asked you about removing downed wood after it has been cut? (11) Would you support or oppose continuing wood recovery at all of your tree removal sites? Why or why not? (12) Do you think that wood recovery adds to the time required to remove a tree? (a) If yes, how much more time does it add? What is more time consuming? (b) If no, does this system reduce the time to remove a tree or does the time required remain the same? Why?
(13) Is there anything else you would like to add?
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UI Post-Implementation Interviews (2) |
Initial Questions: |
[See Initial Questions from UI/Eversource Pre-Implementation Interviews.] |
Biomass Recovery Program Questions: |
(1) Have you been asked to remove trees in a way that produces logs that can be sold? (a) If yes, proceed to Question 3. (b) If no, proceed to Question 2.
(2) Have you been asked by your foreman or anyone from UI to cut longer logs when removing trees? (a) If yes, proceed to Question 3. (b) If no, end of interview.
(3) Were you interviewed last year about this program? (4) Who did you receive the directions from? (5) Did UI provide information about why you are asked to remove trees this way? (6) What information was provided about the program? (7) Can you briefly explain the protocol you are following for the biomass recovery program? (8) Have you encountered any issues in the process? (e.g., clarity of communication about the process, personal safety issues, etc.) (9) Have you had any interaction with a UI representative to receive feedback about the harvesting process? Is so, what did that feedback include? Have you received any feedback from your foreman or another supervisor? (10) Do you have any interaction with the homeowners when you are removing trees? If so, what does that interaction usually involve? (11) Have you encountered individuals who have asked you about removing downed wood after it has been cut? (12) Would you support or oppose continuing wood recovery at all of your tree removal sites? Why or why not? (13) Do you think wood recovery adds to the time required to remove a tree?
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