A new poll finds nearly 85% of voters in Montana and other Western states feel conservation law rollbacks are a major threat.

The 16th annual "Conservation in the West" poll shows voters' concerns about land, water and wildlife issues have gone up significantly over the past few years.

Pollster Lori Weigel, principal at New Bridge Strategy, said voters of all stripes rank conservation high, even compared with other top issues such as the economy, health care and education.

"In fact, it has increased," she said. "The first time we asked this was in 2016, and so when you look at that change over time, it's gone up 10 points in terms of those saying that it's at least somewhat important from one decade ago."

Weigel said Western voter concerns about rollbacks to conservation laws increased 10 percentage points from 2019 to 2026. The new data comes as the Trump administration works to reduce protections and expand fossil fuel extraction, mining, and logging on public lands.

In Montana, 85% of voters believe issues involving public lands, waters and wildlife are important in deciding which candidates they'll support for public office. More than two-thirds of voters in the state oppose fast-tracking oil, gas and mining on national public lands, and 95% say oil and gas companies should pay for drilling clean-up and restoration, not taxpayers.

"For Latino communities, Black communities, Indigenous voters in particular, conservation's not simply about a policy issue," said Maite Arce, president and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation. "It's about our identify, and our heritage and our way of life."

The poll surveyed voters in eight Western states, including Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

Source: Public News Service