NEW SURVEY: OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE, PUBLIC LANDS, AND COST OF LIVING CITED AS TOP REASONS FOR LIVING IN UTAH
Voters say protecting natural areas for future generations is an important priority
COLORADO SPRINGS – Utah voters say a healthy outdoor lifestyle, access to public lands, and the cost of living are the top reasons residents choose to live in the Beehive State, according to the new Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West poll released today.
“We’ve long known that public lands are a critical part of why people choose to live and work in the West, but our findings show that these remarkable places are truly the cornerstone of our lifestyle, our values, and what keeps us in the West,” said Dr. Eric Perramond, Director of the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project and a professor of human and environmental geography. “Towns and cities across the West have a unique competitive advantage over other regions – access to the peaks, canyons, and rivers found on national public lands."
This year’s bipartisan survey of 400 registered voters in Utah, and a total of 2,400 registered voteres across six states, assessed voter attitudes on a range of issues, including land use, water supplies, the impact of public lands on the economy, and reasons why Americans choose to live in the Mountain West. Notably, when asked to name their top factors for living in Utah, respondents stated that access and recreation on public lands outweighed economic opportunities, quality of education, and quality of healthcare.
Key Utah findings include:
"Utah is blessed with landscapes and natural resources that people travel from all over the world to appreciate," said Kirstin Peterson of the Moab City Council. "It's our duty to manage our public lands responsibly to ensure they will remain as assets for the Utah economy as well as for those who live and visit here. Access to public lands, air quality, and the long-term sustainability of our communities are all factors that really have to be weighed and considered in decision-making -- it's a balancing act."
This is the fifth consecutive year Colorado College has gauged public sentiment on conservation issues in the West. The 2015 Colorado College Conservation in the West survey is a bipartisan poll conducted by Republican pollster Lori Weigel of Public Opinion Strategies and Democratic pollster Dave Metz of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates.
The poll surveyed 400 registered voters in each of six Western states (AZ, CO, MT, NM, UT, WY) for a total 2,400-person sample. The survey was conducted December 29, 2014 and January 3 through 11, 2015, and yields a margin of error of +/-2.9 percent nationwide and +/ -4.9 statewide. The full survey and individual state surveys are available here, on the Colorado College website.
“Public lands are an irreplaceable part of our heritage and our lives today. They are the places we hunt and hike as well as places that rejuvenate our spirits,” said Willie Grayeyes, Board Chair of the Utah Diné Bikéyah. “This poll reinforces the shared commitment Utahans have to continuing to protect the lands that are vital for our water, our wildlife and our families.”
The poll also addressed air quality issues in the West, finding that 88 percent of Utahns believe that air pollution and smog are a serious problem in the state. “Clean air and a healthy economy go hand-in-hand. In a state like Utah where outdoor tourism fills our coffers, this is especially true. We can benefit short-term by exploiting our land and resources or we can maintain them for the economic and recreational benefit of generations to come,” said Cherise Udell, Founder of Utah Moms for Clean Air.
