Poll: Western Voters Sound Alarm on Wildfire, Drought, Public Land Threats

DENVER - Western voters are extremely concerned about wildfires, drought, staffing cuts at land management agencies, and threats to sell off public lands, according to the latest Conservation in the West poll released by Colorado College. The poll also demonstrates that Westerners want lawmakers to keep safeguards on oil and gas operations to better protect wildlife and people alike.

"Westerners across the political spectrum care deeply about the lands, waters, and wildlife that are integral to their lives. The poll clearly shows broad support for keeping public lands public instead of turning them over to developers and it indicates that issues involving public lands, waters, and wildlife are important factors for supporting elected officials," said David Willms, associate vice president for public lands at the National Wildlife Federation. "Westerners also support retaining the current requirement that oil and gas companies pay all of the costs to restore lands after drilling - instead of leaving taxpayers on the hook for expensive cleanups and making wildlife and water vulnerable to pollution."

"The poll results show that public lands and water are issues that transcend party lines. The overwhelming concern from Western voters about park staffing cuts, reduced firefighting capacity, and the increasing threat of catastrophic wildfires underscores the urgent need for proactive, responsible land management," said Camilla Simon, executive director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO). "At the same time, strong support for a regional agreement to reduce water use in the Colorado River Basin demonstrates broad understanding that we must manage our shared resources responsibly and collaboratively."

The poll surveyed voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Key findings include:

76% oppose selling public lands to private companies to develop housing
75% oppose allowing Congress to override locally-led land management plans
89% support charging oil and gas companies for cleanup after drilling instead of taxpayers
83% are very concerned that fewer employees are maintaining national public lands
91% are concerned about reduced firefighting capacity
83% support an agreement for all states in the region to reduce their water usage to preserve the health of the Colorado River
85% say that issues involving public lands, waters, and wildlife are important for deciding whether or not to support an elected public official

Complete poll results can be found here.