As Many Expected, Acting Secretary David Bernhardt Is Nominated To Head Interior Department

Published on by Cyndy Category: Policy, Poll NEWS coverage

KRCC

KUNC

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WYOMING PUBLIC MEDIA

By Nate Hegyi

Originally published on February 5, 2019 3:24 pm

President Donald Trump took to Twitter to nominate David Bernhardt as the nation’s next Interior Secretary. The former oil industry lobbyist and longtime government employee has been acting Secretary since Ryan Zinke stepped down last month amid questions about his ethics and conflicts of interest.

Bernhardt served as Deputy Interior Secretary during Zinke’s 21-month tenure at the helm of the department. In that role, he was largely responsible for running daily operations in Washington. During his tenure, he has reduced regulations and helped open millions of acres of federally-managed public lands to potential oil and gas development.  Read more.

Poll: Westerners’ public lands views run counter to Trump energy agenda

Published on by Cyndy Category: Public Lands

The DAILY SENTINEL

January 31, 2019

By Dennis Webb

A poll release Thursday by Colorado College suggests a disconnect between the priorities of western voters when it comes to public lands, and those of the Trump administration’s energy-dominance agenda.

The college’s 9th annual State of the Rockies survey also identified increasing concern among westerners about climate change.

The poll found that about two-thirds of respondents want Congress to ensure protection of water, air quality and wildlife habitat while providing opportunities to visit and recreate on … READ MORE

Concern for Western lands

Published on by Cyndy Category: Energy, Public Lands

The Daily Sentinel

Feb 1, 2019

By DENNIS WEBB

A poll released Thursday by Colorado College suggests a disconnect between the priorities of Western voters when it comes to public lands, and those of the Trump administration’s energy-dominance agenda.

The college’s ninth-annual State of the Rockies survey also identified increasing concern among Westerners about climate change.

The poll found that about two-thirds of respondents want Congress to ensure protection of water, air quality and wildlife habitat while providing opportunities to visit and recreate on federal land, while about a quarter of respondents want it to ensure production of more domestic energy by maximizing how much land is available for responsible oil and gas drilling and mining.  Read more

Poll: NM Voters Show Bipartisan Support for Public Lands

Published on by Cyndy Category: Policy, Public Lands

Public News Service

February 1, 2019

ALBUQUERQUE, M.N. – Voters in eight Western states, including New Mexico, oppose policies by the Trump administration that shrink national monuments and promote oil and gas development as part of an “energy dominance” agenda.

Both Republicans and Democrats responding to the ninth annual “Conservation in the West” poll said conservation, not resource extraction, should guide management on public lands.

Robert Fanger, chief communications officer with the Hispanic Access Foundation, says Latinos have historically been left out of the conversation about public lands, but that is changing.  Read more

New Poll Underscores Overwhelming Montana Support for Conserving Wildlife, Protecting Migration Corridors

Published on by Cyndy Category: Conservation, Wildlife
The Outdoor Wire
Friday, February 1, 2019

New polling out Thursday from Colorado College that shows Montanans and Americans throughout the West support conservation of wildlife habitat and collaborative strategies to protect and preserve vital migration corridors. The poll also raises concerns about the Department of the Interior’s singular focus on energy development — to the exclusion of responsible stewardship of wildlife and public lands.

“This latest Conservation in the West poll confirms once more just how much Montanans love our wildlife, public lands, and clean waters, and that we want our lawmakers to work together to protect these resources for future generations. At a time when our country is so deeply divided, conservation continues to be the issue that can bring Americans together,” said Dave Chadwick, Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation. “These results also show shared support, not only for wildlife stewardship in Montana, but also the growing consensus that fragmented habitat and migration corridors need collaborative solutions.”  Read more

Wyoming Voters Want Access To Fed Lands

Published on by Cyndy Category: Public Lands

FEBRUARY 1, 2019

by Jackson Hole Radio News

The ninth annual Colorado College “State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll” released yesterday shows voters in Wyoming continue to support efforts to keep public lands protected and accessible, putting them at odds with the current administration’s “energy dominance” agenda. The poll surveyed the views of voters in Wyoming along with Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah on policies impacting the use and protection of public lands.  Read more

Poll: Wyomingites strongly conservationist despite conflicts in land use, energy development

Published on by Cyndy Category: Conservation, Energy, Public Lands

CASPER STAR TRIBUNE

SCOTTSBLUFF STAR HERALD

STAR HERALD ONLINE

Heather Richards

Feb 1, 2019

Among their Western neighbors, Wyomingites remain the least concerned by climate change, but most are unabashedly conservationists, valuing an outdoors economy and protections for open spaces, according to an annual poll published by Colorado College.

Just 52 percent of Wyomingites consider climate change a serious problem, up 6 percentage points from 2016, according to the poll. More than 75 percent would call themselves conservationists.  Read more

Bill would prohibit oil and gas leases in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains

Published on by Cyndy Category: Energy, Policy, Public Lands

RENO GAZETTE JOURNAL

by Benjamin Spillman

Published 5:00 p.m. PT Jan. 31, 2019

Nevada’s picturesque Ruby Mountains would be entirely off limits to oil and gas leasing under a bill in the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto wrote the bill that would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from issuing oil and gas leases throughout the entire 450,000-acre Ruby Mountains Ranger District.

The bill would not affect grazing, mining or any other existing use on the land.

The bill comes as the U.S. Forest Service is reviewing a proposal that would offer leases on about 50,000 acres, including near popular areas for outdoor recreation such as Lamoille Canyon and Harrison Pass.

Read more

Poll: Nevadans Favor Public-Lands Conservation Over Energy Production

Published on by Cyndy Category: Conservation, Energy, Public Lands

NEVADA CAPITAL NEWS

by Suzanne Potter

CARSON CITY – Almost two-thirds of Nevadans oppose the Trump administration’s emphasis on energy production over conservation on public land, according to a new poll.

Researchers for the ninth annual “Conservation in the West” poll from Colorado College surveyed 400 registered voters in eight western states, including Nevada. They found that 64 percent of Nevadans want Congress to focus on protecting air, water and land – compared with 25 percent who said more drilling and mining should be a higher priority.  Read more

Coloradans, other Westerners strongly support public lands, conservation, new poll says

Published on by Cyndy Category: Climate, Public Lands, Water

Annual Colorado College survey shows growing concern about water supplies, climate change

By | jkohler@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
A new poll showing that a majority of Coloradans consider themselves conservationists and favor protecting natural resources and wildlife on public lands meshes with priorities set by his administration, Gov. Jared Polis said Thursday.
Colorado College released the results of its ninth annual State of the Rockies Conservation in the West Poll during a call with the media. The pollsters — one who typically works with Democrats and one who typically works for Republicans — conducted 3,200 phone interviews with 400 registered voters in eight Western states.   Read more