Bipartisan Western Voters Prioritize Environment Over Energy Development

Large bipartisan majorities of voters across eight Western states remain concerned about climate change and strongly oppose rollbacks of environmental protections, according to a new regional poll.

The annual Conservation in the West survey from Colorado College finds that 84% of Western voters say rollbacks of laws protecting land, water and wildlife are a serious problem. That’s a sharp increase from 68% who said the same eight years ago.

Climate change concern rises sharply across Western states

The survey also shows growing concern about climate change itself. More than half of voters now describe climate change as an extremely or very serious problem, a share that has doubled since 2011. Overall, three-quarters of respondents say climate change is at least somewhat serious. Wyoming was the only state surveyed where slightly more than half of voters said climate change is not a problem.

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Strong bipartisan support for protecting public lands

Support for protecting public lands remains strong across party lines. By a 76% to 21% margin — the widest gap recorded in the poll’s 16-year history — voters say the federal government should prioritize environmental protection and recreation over expanding energy production on public lands.

Concern about funding for public lands is also widespread. Nearly 9 in 10 voters, including many self-identified conservative respondents, say they are worried about potential cuts to national parks, forests and other public lands.

Western voters oppose selling public lands

The poll also found strong opposition to selling public lands to private companies for development. Majorities across the region say they prefer those lands remain publicly managed.

In addition, more than 4 in 5 voters in states that rely on the Colorado River say they would support agreements requiring reduced water use to protect the river’s long-term health.

The 2026 survey is based on interviews conducted in January with more than 3,400 voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

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