|
Last week's midterm elections confirmed what Western outdoor voters already knew — support for public lands is a winning issue in the West. Following President Joe Biden's designation of Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado, at the request of Senator Michael Bennet after years of legislative efforts that repeatedly stalled out in a gridlocked U.S. Senate, Bennet was easily re-elected in what had been predicted to be a close contest. Similarly, Congressman-elect Gabe Vasquez successfully ran on a pro-conservation resumé to defeat incumbent Congresswoman Yvette Herrell to represent New Mexico's 2nd congressional district, a part of the state with significant oil and gas development.
Other Western contests saw anti-conservation candidates win by much smaller margins than expected. In Montana, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke narrowly defeated environmental attorney Monica Tranel in a race that was not expected to be close but ended up taking several days to call. And in Colorado, the race between vocal anti-conservation Congresswoman Lauren Boebert and challenger Adam Frisch remains too close to call in a district that Boebert was heavily favored to win.
The salience and popularity of public land conservation should come as no surprise. The most recent elections confirm the findings of a recent analysis, conducted by the Center for Western Priorities and the Center for American Progress, of public opinion polling and of media coverage of executive conservation actions. The analysis showed that conservation action is wildly popular, cuts through the public’s distrust of Washington, is accessible to broad and bipartisan audiences, and garners incredibly positive media coverage.
Last week's election outcomes underscore these findings, and serve as clear guidance for President Biden and for members of Congress as they set their respective agendas for the next two years. With gridlock all but certain to paralyze Congress, the president can use the next two years to build a solid conservation legacy using executive action, which remains overwhelmingly popular with the public. And members of Congress can take heart that voters see and appreciate their conservation efforts despite gridlock in Congress. As Pete Maysmith of the League of Conservation Voters summarized, "Voters care about public lands. Candidates who made the case for that were rewarded."
|
There is a great deal the Biden administration can do with purely executive authority at this point and now is the time for them to begin.”
