For more than a decade, Colorado College has sponsored a poll to gauge conservation sentiments of residents in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Nevada. Over the years, the questions have ranged from whether the members of the public view themselves as conservationists, whether land conservation and protection can be paired with a strong economy, and even whether federal lands should be turned over to the states. 

The 2023 State of the Rockies poll just came out, and it points to public support for strong conservation policies that protect wildlife and wild lands, and what some might call surprisingly strong support from a largely conservative corner of the country, for a conservation goal of protecting 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030. We’re going to get into the poll results with Brian Kurzel, the National Wildlife Federation’s regional executive director for the Rocky Mountain region.