Source: Outdoor Industry Association
Sixty-five percent of likely Colorado voters in next year’s presidential election think federal lands should continue ti be managed by the federal government, a survey released Thursday by the Outdoor Industry Association indicated.
The issue has deep roots in Colorado, from last year’s gubernatorial debate when Republican nominee of the state taking over management of federal public lands, to this year’s t legislative session, when Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg to study it, arguing state and local governments could do a better job.
The survey measured voters’ attitudes in Colorado and Nevada, two swing states expected to play big roles in next’s year presidential race.
“Voters in both states rejected that kind of change … whether it was a majority of Republicans, Democrats or independents,” said Lori Weigel, the Denver-based partner with Public ap Strategies, which conducted the polling.
About 75 percent of respondents said “these places belong to all Americans, not the individual states in which they are located,” according to the trade association
The full survey, , marks the first time the association has measured voter attitudes instead of assessing economic impact or recreation and tourism, said executive director Amy Roberts.
Nearly all the questions and answers showed broad support for maintaining and profiting from recreation and tourism.
The survey indicated that 84 percent of likely voters in Colorado and 77 percent in Nevada say public lands, water and wildlife issues shape their support or opposition to public officials. A majority also think outdoor recreation and access to national public lands help their economy and boost the quality of life in their state, the survey suggested. The overall economy is the subject of next Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
“Those are going to be important factors as voters go to the polls,” Roberts said.
The survey of 500 respondents in each state collected a broad range of opinions and other information. Phone polling was conducted Oct. 6–10. The margin of error was 4.38 percent.
Coloradans and Nevadans were five times more likely to choose outdoor recreation and related tourism as the businesses their states should invest in above other top industries their states are known for — marijuana in Colorado and gambling in Nevada.
Voters in both states also indicated that their states could do more to invest in creating or supporting outdoor recreation and tourism jobs, “even above those in the oil and gas and mining industries in both states, the health care industry in Colorado and gaming industry in Nevada,” the association said in a statement.
The Outdoor Industry Association contends that recreation and tourism contribute $13.2 billion to the Colorado economy, in addition to supporting 125,000 jobs.
