Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** Conservation in the West poll shows spike in concern about nature
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Friday, February 18, 2022

Colorado College's State of the Rockies Project released the 12th annual Conservation in the West poll ([link removed]) yesterday. The poll surveys at least 400 registered voters in eight Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

This year, the results ([link removed]) show a spike in concern over issues like drought, inadequate water supplies, wildfires, the loss of wildlife habitats and natural spaces, and climate change ([link removed]) . 69% of voters are concerned about the future of nature ([link removed]) , meaning land, water, air, and wildlife, a notable jump from 61 percent in last year’s poll. “We definitely see some extreme concerns about water,” pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy said ([link removed]) . “We’re consistently seeing now folks really concerned about droughts and
reduced snowpack.”

Katrina Miller-Stevens, Director of the State of the Rockies Project and an associate professor at Colorado College said ([link removed]) , “We are seeing a perfect storm of threats that are driving higher levels of concern than ever before for the state of our lands and water in the Mountain West. Not surprisingly, most voters are aligning behind policies that would help mitigate threats by conserving and protecting more outdoor spaces.”

Westerners’ heightened concerns about climate change ([link removed]) and its impacts are matched with strong consensus behind proposals to conserve and protect the country’s outdoors. For example, 77% support the 30x30 goal to conserve 30% of America's lands and waters by 2030 ([link removed]) , while 80% support creating new national parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges, and tribal protected areas to protect historic sites or areas for outdoor recreation ([link removed]) . Dave Metz, one of the pollsters, said ([link removed]) of the prominence of
conservation and environmental issues to Western voters, “This distinguishes this part of the country from the rest of nation.”

For the second consecutive year the poll examined the intersection of race with views on conservation priorities ([link removed]) , with the results showing notably higher percentages of Black voters, Latino voters, and Native American voters to be concerned about climate change, pollution of rivers, lakes, and streams, and the impact of oil and gas drilling on our land, air, and water.
Quick hits


** Forecasters say the Western drought is not expected to end soon
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New York Times ([link removed])


** Conservation in the West poll results show spike in concern about nature
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The Missoulian ([link removed]) | Colorado Public Radio ([link removed]) | The Denver Channel ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | Grand Junction Daily Sentinel ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | KRTV ([link removed]) | Missoula Current
([link removed])


** New Mexico abandoned 1,000 oil and gas wells overnight
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Grist ([link removed])


** Wyoming hopes sue-and-settle deal will avoid power plant shutdown
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WyoFile ([link removed])


** New methane data will help tackle pollution in the Permian Basin
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Vox ([link removed])


** Researchers in Colorado found a new "Funky Thistle" plant species
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** "Drastic changes" on the horizon for the Rio Grande
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Albuquerque Journal ([link removed])


** Study: Oil firms' climate claims are greenwashing
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The Guardian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” Today, we face a fork in the road. One path will take us backward, to more oil development and the pollution, climate change and unsustainable development we see wherever oil development takes place.

This is the other path: Cook Inlet has world-class renewable energy resources. With smart investment, our volcanoes and tides and winds could produce clean and sustainable energy — and the jobs needed to harness it — for years to come."
—Chief John Kvasnikoff of the Alaska Native Village of Nanwalek, Washington Post ([link removed])
Picture this


** @SenatorHick ([link removed])
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Daily reminder why our public lands are so important. 😀

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