Native Plant Conservation Campaign News: 2018 Conservation in the West Poll – Voters Support Environment, Public Lands, Oppose Trump Policies
March 7, 2018
Transform public opinion into public policy!
The eighth annual bipartisan poll surveyed registered voters in each of eight Western states — Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Idaho was added to the survey for the first time this year.
The poll found that Western voters are more likely to identify as a conservationist today than two years ago, with significant increases in every Western state.
Underpinning the importance Western voters place on protecting public lands, 93 percent of Westerners surveyed view the outdoor recreation economy as important for the economic future of their state, and 81 percent view the presence of public lands and their state’s outdoor recreation lifestyle as an advantage in attracting good jobs and innovative companies.
Asked how the Trump administration should balance the protection of natural resources and development, 64 percent said they prefer protecting water, air, and wildlife while providing opportunities to visit and recreate on national public lands; 23 percent said they prefer the administration prioritize domestic energy production by increasing the amount of national public lands available for responsible drilling and mining.
Majorities in every state — and 66 percent overall — negatively view the current administration’s decision to remove existing protections and reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. A decision to alter or eliminate additional national monuments would be unpopular with 69 percent of respondents across the Mountain West.
We can transform sound public opinion into sound public policy!
