“There may be a lot that divides voters across the country, but in the West, there is nearly universal consensus in favor of conservation,” Katrina Miller-Stevens, Director of the State of the Rockies Project, said in a press release on the survey. 

However, that does not mean there were no partisan or state-specific differences in voter’s level of support for certain issues. For example, 60 percent of Colorado voters rated the loss of fish and wildlife habitat as “Extremely Serious” or “Very Serious.” In Wyoming — far more sparsely populated and conservative — that total was 48 percent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 76 percent of Arizona voters were similarly concerned about inadequate water supplies, compared to 37 percent of Wyoming voters and 46 percent of voters in Montana. However, 53 percent of Wyoming voters were seriously worried about their children not spending enough time outdoors, versus 49 percent of Colorado respondents.

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

The pollsters also “over-sampled” underrepresented groups, like Black and Native American voters. Maite Arce, President and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation, said those communities often bear a disproportionate brunt of environmental hazards and often live in areas with less availability of wild lands. Polling results show minority groups have conservation worries that extend beyond environmental concerns.

“[These issues] are integral to their health, mental health, jobs, local economies,” Arce said.  “These elements also play a pivotal role in preserving culture and heritage.”

Besides being shared publicly, the polling data is used throughout the year by Colorado College students in their research. Weigel and Metz also travel to Washington D.C. most years to discuss their findings with members of Congress.

There was one bright spot the pollsters found in this year’s results. Voters appeared to be looking more intently for news and information on conservation issues, through podcasts, traditional news sources, and other means. Metz said voters also showed more optimism and thought many conservation problems were solvable, even as their worries grew. 

“When we ask questions about some of these challenges that we’re facing …people think we can figure it out,” Metz said. “They think there are paths forward.”

Editor’s note: Colorado Public Radio partners with Colorado College to operate KRCC.