Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project has released data from the 11th annual Conservation in the West Poll, indicating strong bipartisan support for conservation and a heightened concern for the future of our land, water, air, and wildlife.
The Conservation in the West Poll surveyed registered voters via phone and online interviews across eight Rocky Mountain States: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The 2021 survey was completed from January 2 – 13 by 3,842 voters across the Mountain West, including 505 Nevadans.
When asked whether they felt more hopeful or more worried about the future of nature, 66% of Nevadans were worried, consistent with the results across the other seven surveyed states. We are not hopeless, however, as 90% of respondents want the state to continue investing in conservation. An astonishing 82% of Nevadans support the 30 x 30 initiative to conserve 30% of land and waters by 2030 – the highest number of all the states.
“It is wonderful to see such strong support for conservation from Nevadans, but not surprising,” said Alicia Reban, executive director of the Nevada Land Trust. “Whether we're working on the Truckee River, along the Sierra Front in Douglas County, or out on ranches near Elko, there is a deep and abiding love of land and of water for wildlife, for recreation, and for protecting Nevada's history and culture. Land trusts like ours are all about taking action every single day to conserve these precious resources."
Topics covered in the poll include energy, outdoor recreation, water, and wildfires. The complete poll results can be found here.
