Recent polling reveals overwhelming support for public land conservation among Westerners, with 72% prioritizing environmental protection over oil and gas drilling. The Colorado College study shows a 48-point preference for conservation, echoing a unified political sentiment across the region. As federal policies shift, experts warn of potential electoral repercussions for officials who ignore these preferences.
As oil and gas production in the United States continues its upward trajectory, public sentiment in the Western states strongly favors conservation efforts over expanded oil and gas drilling. A recent poll by Colorado College indicates that 72% of residents prefer their congressional representatives to prioritize clean air, water, and wildlife protection, alongside outdoor recreation, rather than maximizing the use of public lands for oil and gas extraction. This represents a marked increase in support for conservation, with only 24% backing additional drilling on public lands, yielding a 48-point margin favoring conservation, the highest recorded in the history of this poll.
Katrina Miller-Stevens, an associate professor at Colorado College, remarked, “The consensus favoring public lands conservation remains consistent and strong in the West. Westerners do not want to see a rollback of national monument protections and there is no mandate for oil and gas development.” This sentiment transcends political boundaries, uniting voters across diverse ideologies in support of conservation efforts.
The poll, conducted in collaboration with bipartisan pollsters, surveyed over 3,300 individuals across eight Western states, including politically conservative and independent voices. Findings show that less than 40% of respondents supported the oil and gas extraction policies promoted by the Trump administration, particularly in light of significant federal job cuts within the Department of the Interior and Agriculture.
Rachael Hamby, policy director at the Center for Western Priorities, stated, “A lot of the actions that the Trump administration has taken or has proposed to take are pretty far out of step with what Westerners want to see in terms of our public lands.” Furthermore, an overwhelming majority expressed a desire for federal career officials, rather than elected representatives, to make public land decisions, reinforcing the broad support for established conservation practices.
State-by-state analysis revealed that nearly 75% of residents endorsed federal climate change initiatives, with particularly strong support in New Mexico (77%) and a notable 52% in Wyoming. Additionally, the desire to maintain national monument designations remains high, as almost 90% of participants supported preserving these protections against the administration’s review process. Measures to advance conservation through private landowner incentives and nature-based solutions also received considerable backing.
As the new administration pivots towards different public land policies, experts, including Ms. Hamby, caution that neglecting constituents’ preferences will have electoral consequences. “If elected officials are straying too far from what their constituents want to see, they’re going to have to answer to their voters,” she concluded.
The poll conducted by Colorado College illustrates a strong preference among Westerners for conservation over oil and gas development. With a significant majority supporting efforts to protect public lands, there exists a clear consensus across political affiliations. As federal and state policies evolve, it is imperative that elected officials heed the voices of their constituents to align with their conservation priorities.
Original Source: www.hcn.org
