Couldn't you just delete Surveys out in Front Page?

I would edit the direct mode site  page at:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server
extensions\60\TEMPLATE\1033\STS\default.aspx

You can use VS.NET, FrontPage, Dream Weaver, Notepad, vi, whatever you
like.

Search for the word "Surveys" and then delete these two lines:
<TR><TD class="ms-navheader"><A
HREF="_layouts/<%=System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture
.LCID%>/viewlsts.aspx?BaseType=4">Surveys</A></TD></TR>
<TR><TD style="height: 6px"><!--webbot bot="Navigation"
S-Btn-Nobr="FALSE" S-Type="sequence" S-Rendering="html"
S-Orientation="Vertical" B-Include-Home="FALSE" B-Include-Up="FALSE"
U-Page="sid:1007" S-Bar-Pfx="<table border=0 cellpadding=4
cellspacing=0>" S-Bar-Sfx="</table>" S-Btn-Nml="<tr><td><table border=0
cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td><img src='_layouts/images/blank.gif'
ID='100' alt='Icon' border=0>&nbsp;</td><td valign=top><a
ID=onetleftnavbar#LABEL_ID#
href='#URL#'>#LABEL#</td></tr></table></td></tr>" S-Target TAG="BODY"
startspan --><SharePoint:Navigation LinkBarId="1007"
runat="server"/><!--webbot bot="Navigation" endspan --></TD></TR>

Run iisreset and browse to the home page of your site. The Surveys
section of the quick  launch should be gone.

It would even be better if you were using a copy of the STS Site
Definition.