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In a Colorado Sun op-ed, Center for Western Priorities Executive Director Jennifer Rokala makes the case that conservation is a winning issue in the West.
A new Winning the West poll from the Center for Western Priorities shows that outdoor and public lands issues are critical to motivating Western voters in the swing states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. According to the poll, 81% of voters in these states say that conservation issues will play an influential role in how they choose to vote. The finding holds true across party lines with 87% of Democrats, 81% of Independents, and 73% of Republicans reporting that these issues will impact their vote.
Public land conservation always polls well out West, but what’s different this year is voters’ evident frustrations around elected officials’ lack of action on these issues they care so much about. According to the poll, 77% of Western voters are concerned that politicians in Washington do not understand the way of life in the West and that the decisions being made in D.C. hurt the economy and quality of life in Western and rural areas. Voters want action on public lands conservation, wildfire prevention, and drought resilience.
Despite a moment of high gas prices (which have declined significantly from their June peak) the majority of Western voters still want to protect public lands from oil and gas development. According to the Winning the West poll, 68% of Westerners are concerned about environmental disasters like oil spills that threaten to destroy critical land and water resources, and another 64% agree that oil and gas development on public land should be only allowed with strict limitations and regulations to ensure that our land, wildlife, water, and public safety are protected first and foremost.
The advice to candidates is simple. Get outside and find your voters.
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We ought to collectively consider why our response to natural disasters often differs so extensively from how we react to chronic hardships. Why is it that, as a community, we tend to offer our selfless assistance only in extremely emotional circumstances that override our natural fears and biases?”
