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The new Conservation in the West poll released by Colorado College's State of the Rockies Project shows concern for the future of nature and support for conservation and public lands in voters across the West. Overall, 61 percent of Western voters are concerned about the future of nature. This concern translates into broad support for public lands conservation policies. 77 percent of Western voters support setting a national goal of conserving 30 percent of land and waters in America by the year 2030 and 84 percent support creating new national parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges, and tribal protected areas.
This year, the poll oversampled Latino, Black, and Native American voters in order to examine the intersection of race with views on conservation priorities and speak more confidently about the view of those communities. Results show that voters of color have a higher level of concern about climate change, clean water, and the impact of oil and gas drilling, and they demonstrate stronger support for proactive conservation policies.
The majority of Westerners support strict limitations on oil and gas development on public lands. 59 percent think that oil and gas development should be strictly limited on public lands and another 14 percent say it should be stopped completely, while only 25 percent say it should be expanded. To view the full results or look at state-by-state breakdowns, visit Colorado College's State of the Rockies Project.
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It’s time we put these failed special interest boondoggles behind us and reverse the damage done by the past administration. Building upon President Biden’s swift action to protect the Arctic, we must work side-by-side with the Indigenous Peoples of the coastal plain to permanently protect and manage these treasured public lands.”
