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


** Water worries Westerners
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Thursday, February 16, 2023
Lake Powell's "bathtub ring" shows how far water levels have dropped. Photo: arbyreed, ([link removed]) CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ([link removed])

Despite Westerners' concerns over gas prices, the cost of living, and water shortages, support for conservation efforts remains high across the region, according to the 13th annual Conservation in the West Poll ([link removed]) from the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project.

The bipartisan poll, which is considered the gold standard for public opinion research on conservation measures, surveyed more than 3,400 people in eight Western states. Across the West, more than two thirds of respondents said ([link removed]) that reducing the need for oil and gas and expanding renewable energy was a bigger priority than expanding production of oil, gas, and coal.

Two thirds of Western voters said that drought and inadequate water supplies are a serious problem. Four out of five voters ([link removed]) in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah say the Colorado River is at risk and in need of urgent action.

The poll also revealed a need for more education about which sectors of the economy use the most water. Colorado Public Radio notes ([link removed]) that in Colorado, the largest share of voters polled, 35 percent, believe industry and business use the most water in the state. In fact, agriculture uses by far the most water in Colorado—86 percent ([link removed]) —but only 34 percent of Colorado respondents correctly identified that farmers and ranchers are the biggest water users.

“I think it does highlight an area where there’s room for public education,” said Dave Metz with FM3 research ([link removed]) , part of the State of the Rockies polling team. “Given how critical public concern is about water shortages, understanding how water is currently used is helpful in making decisions about what policies we need to enact to ensure that we have sustainable supplies for all of these sectors moving forward.”

Similar misconceptions held up across most states in the survey. In only three states ([link removed]) —Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—did a slim majority of respondents correctly identify farmers and ranchers as the biggest water users in their state.

The Conservation in the West Poll also showed growing support for the "30x30" initiative to protect American lands and waters. E&E News reports ([link removed]) that 82 percent of voters said they support the conservation goal, and 84 percent said they want to see more national monuments, parks, and wildlife refuges that protect historic sites or preserve recreational areas.

You can read the full poll results and look back at previous years at the Colorado College State of the Rockies website ([link removed]) .
Quick hits


** Westerners support clean energy, less oil—even in red states
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Los Angeles Times ([link removed]) | CPR News ([link removed]) | Axios Denver ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed]) | Arizona Republic ([link removed]) | Deseret News ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed]) | KRTV
([link removed]) | Colorado Newsline ([link removed]) | Missoulian ([link removed])


** Manchin, Barrasso float bill to jump-start domestic uranium
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E&E News ([link removed])


** Montana joins oil industry to sue Portland over fossil fuel terminal ban
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Reuters ([link removed]) | OPB ([link removed])


** As Willow project decision nears, Alaska ponders ties to oil
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Roll Call ([link removed])


** Wyoming bill would erode Tribal land rights
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WyoToday ([link removed])


** Tribes welcome return of ancestral lands—sometimes one acre at a time
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Indianz ([link removed])


** Western bumblebee populations suffering alarming declines
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KUNC ([link removed])


** Nine endangered ferrets released to prey on Colorado's prairie dogs
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OutThere Colorado ([link removed])
Quote of the day

” Then there’s the challenge of deep-pocketed industries and other interest groups — such as fossil fuel companies and anti-public lands activists — drowning out the voices of regular people. [Pollster Lori] Weigel told me she used to keep a quote on her wall from a legislator who had trouble believing the results of a survey she’d conducted: ‘Well, no one that I talk to every day has said this.’

‘It’s exactly that,’ Weigel said. ‘They’re talking to a small number of people in a very specific area.’”
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times ([link removed])
Picture this


** @WstrnPriorities ([link removed])
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Despite high gas prices, Westerners continue to support limiting oil and gas drilling on #publiclands ([link removed]) .

Instead, they want their U.S. representatives to focus on protecting clean water, recreation, and habitat in the West.

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