Survey: Western Voters Concerned About Conservation – By Elliott Davis (US News) / Feb 8 2021
Voters from eight Western states are showing more concern for conservation issues such as climate change than unemployment, according to a Colorado College poll.
VOTERS FROM EIGHT Mountain West states are increasingly worried about conservation issues such as climate change, wildfires and habitat loss – and their level of concern is even outpacing that for unemployment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent poll out of Colorado College.
The annual poll, part of the college’s State of the Rockies Project, found that 61% of those surveyed are “concerned about the future of nature,” including air, land, water and wildlife. The survey was conducted in tandem by a Republican pollster and Democratic pollster and reached voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
The poll found overwhelming support for several conservation-focused proposals. More than 9 in 10 respondents said that states should still find money to protect nature despite budget problems. Of those surveyed, 66% support having all energy be produced by “clean, renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower over the next ten to fifteen years.” Support for this energy transition was even higher in Colorado (72%), Idaho (68%), Nevada (71%) and New Mexico (71%).
