8th Annual Conservation in the West Poll Finds Strong Support for Protecting Land and Water in Utah
Utah voters say protected public lands are critical to state economies, oppose Trump administration efforts to eliminate land, water and wildlife protections
COLORADO SPRINGS — Utah voters weighed in on the Trump administration’s priorities for managing the use and protection of public lands in a new Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll released today.
The poll, now in its eighth year, surveyed the views of voters in eight Mountain West states on some of the most pressing issues involving public lands and waters, including proposals to eliminate or alter national monuments.
Underpinning the importance voters place on protecting public lands, 95 percent of Utahns surveyed view the outdoor recreation economy as important for the economic future of their state. Eighty-one percent view the presence of public lands and their state’s outdoor recreation lifestyle as an advantage in attracting good jobs and innovative companies. Utah voters are more likely to identify as a conservationist today than two years ago, with similarly significant increases in every Western state.
Overall, Utah voter approval for President Donald Trump and his administration’s handling of issues related to land, water and wildlife sits at 47 percent, with 46 percent disapproving.
Asked where the Trump administration should place its emphasis between protection and development, 64 percent of respondents said they prefer protecting water, air and wildlife while providing opportunities to visit and recreate on national public lands. That is compared to 22 percent of respondents who said they prefer the administration prioritize domestic energy production by increasing the amount of national public lands available for responsible drilling and mining.
Utahns hold national monuments in high regard. Eighty-five percent described them as helping nearby economies, 91 percent as national treasures, 95 percent as important places to be conserved for future generations, 92 percent as places to learn about America’s history and heritage, and 97 percent as places they want their children to see someday. Twenty-seven percent said national monuments hurt the local economy and 39 percent said they tie up too much land that could be put to other uses.
In Utah, voters are divided on the recent Trump administration decision to remove existing protections and reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah by 2 million acres, with a slightly higher percentage of voters (49 percent) saying President Trump’s action was a bad idea than those saying it was a good idea (46 percent). A Trump administration decision to alter or eliminate additional national monuments would be unpopular with 56 percent of respondents across the state.
“Over the eight-year history of the Conservation in the West Poll, a passion for the outdoors and strong support for American public lands have remained constant in the Mountain West,” said Dr. Walt Hecox, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Colorado College and founder of the State of the Rockies Project. “Nearly all of the people surveyed said they visited national public lands in the past year and plan to go to a national park in 2018. Public lands drive our economy and define our way of life. A leadership agenda that does not recognize that reality is going to be met with strong disapproval in Utah.”
Specifically, several actions recently undertaken or currently under consideration by the Trump administration are unpopular with voters in Utah:
42 percent of respondents support [45 percent oppose] raising fees to enter some of the country’s largest national parks during peak season;
36 percent of respondents support [46 percent oppose] privatizing the management of campgrounds, visitor centers and other services provided at national parks and other national public lands;
31 percent of respondents support [56 percent oppose] expanding how much public land is available to private companies which pay for the ability to drill for oil and gas on public lands;
33 percent of respondents support [54 percent oppose] expanding how much public land is available to private companies which pay for the ability to mine for uranium and other metals on public lands;
25 percent of respondents support [62 percent oppose] allowing mining on public lands next to Grand Canyon National Park, where new mining claims are currently banned;
27 percent of respondents support [59 percent oppose] changing current plans to protect habitat for threatened sage-grouse in Western states;
and, conversely, 82 percent of respondents support [8 percent oppose] requiring oil and gas producers who operate on public lands to use updated equipment and technology to prevent leaks of methane gas during the extraction process and reduce the need to burn off excess natural gas into the air—a regulation the Trump administration is seeking to overturn.
With the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show beginning this week in Denver, after the Outdoor Industry Association ended its 20-year partnership with Salt Lake City as a result of Utah politicians’ hostility toward land conservation and U.S. public lands, the impact of the Trump administration’s recent actions on local outdoor economies is top of mind for the outdoor recreation business community:
“Protecting public lands is a bipartisan issue with constituents across the West agreeing that public lands and waters should remain open and accessible for all to enjoy,” said Travis Campbell, chairman of the board for the Outdoor Industry Association and President of Smartwool. “Unfortunately, the current administration’s actions are not lining up with voters’ desires. We need people from both sides of the aisle to express their dissatisfaction with their legislators and let their voices be heard.”
The poll showed strong support for cleaner forms of energy in Utah. Forty percent of respondents in Utah pointed to solar as the source of energy that best represents the future of energy in their state.
With record-low snowpack in parts of the West, the drought remained a top concern this year, as low levels of water in rivers and inadequate water supplies were identified as serious issues facing Utah by 82 percent and 88 percent of respondents respectively. Eighty-one percent of respondents prefer addressing the water shortage by using the current water supply more wisely through conservation, reduction and recycling rather than by diverting more water from rivers in less populated places to communities where more people live. Seventy-three percent of respondents in Utah view the Colorado River as “at risk.”
This is the eighth consecutive year Colorado College has gauged the public’s sentiment on public lands and conservation issues. Idaho was added to the survey for the first time this year. The 2018 Colorado College Conservation in the West Poll is a bipartisan survey 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 eight Western states (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT & WY) for a total 3,200-person sample. The survey was conducted in late December 2017 and early January 2018 and has a margin of error of ±2.65 percent nationwide and ±4.9 percent statewide. The full survey and individual state surveys are available on the State of the Rockies website.
About Colorado College
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 2,000 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive three and a half-week segments. For the past twelve years, the college has sponsored the State of the Rockies Project, which seeks to increase public understanding of vital issues affecting the Rocky Mountain West through annual reports, free events, discussions and other activities.
About Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3)—a national Democratic opinion research firm with offices in Oakland, Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconsin—has specialized in public policy oriented opinion research since 1981. The firm has assisted hundreds of political campaigns at every level of the ballot—from President to City Council—with opinion research and strategic guidance. FM3 also provides research and strategic consulting to public agencies, businesses and public interest organizations nationwide.
About Public Opinion Strategies
Public Opinion Strategies is the largest Republican polling firm in the country. Since the firm’s founding in 1991, they have completed more than 10,000 research projects, interviewing more than five million Americans across the United States. Public Opinion Strategies’ research is well respected, and prestigious media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, NBC News, and CNBC rely on Public Opinion Strategies to conduct their polling. The firm conducts opinion research on behalf of hundreds of political campaigns, as well as trade associations, not-for-profit organizations, government entities and industry coalitions throughout the nation.
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Colorado College State of the Rockies Project, 14 E. Cache La Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 | 719-227-8145
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Off Road Minivan
Signs To Tooth & Nail Records
Announces Debut EP
Spiral Gaze
Out February 16th, 2018
Pre-Order Now at:
www.smarturl.it/OffRoadMinivan
January 25, 2018 - Red Hook, NY - Rock quintet Off Road Minivan is thrilled to announce that they have joined the Tooth & Nail Records family. Additionally, the band will be releasing their debut EP, Spiral Gaze, on February 16th, 2018. For more information or to pre-order the record, please visit: www.smarturl.it/OffRoadMinivan
On the forthcoming album, vocalist Ryan O'Leary shares: "Myself and the guys couldn't be more excited to release our new EP with Tooth & Nail records. We are Off Road Minivan and we wanna be your favorite band."
Off Road Minivan is Ryan "Tuck" O'Leary (vocals, bass), Melvin Brinson (guitar), Dave Trimboli (guitar/keyboard), Miles Sweeny (guitar/keyboard), and Evan Garcia Renart (drums).
Off Road Minivan is an alternative rock band from Red Hook, NY. Their sound-a nod to acts like Jimmy Eat World, Thrice, and Snow Patrol-is the direct result of decade-long friendships and a collective passion for 90's grunge. Lead vocalist Ryan "Tuck" O'Leary (Fit For A King) uses Off Road Minivan as an opportunity to write the softer rock he loves to play. His band mates Melvin Brinson (guitar), Dave Trimboli (guitar/keyboard), Miles Sweeny (guitar/keyboard), and Evan Garcia Renart (drums) all play active roles in the writing process too, collaborating and building songs in sessions, not on screens.
"Our main point is to try and get away from what everyone is doing," explains O'Leary, referencing the popularity of electronic music. "We want the organic part of music, the kind that really fills the room, to be what we're known for."
Their debut EP, Spiral Gaze, releases on February 16th, 2018 via Tooth & Nail Records.
For More Information:
Website: www.offroadminivan.merchnow.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OffRoadMinivan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/offroadminivan
Spiral Gaze Track Listing:
1. Spiral Gaze
2. Light Up The Room
3. Glow
4. 17 Years
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