Voters in the American West overwhelmingly support federal land management agencies and oppose cuts to their funding, according to an annual survey released Wednesday.
Colorado College’s “Conservation in the West” poll found that people in Western states approve of the work of agencies like the National Park Service and EPA. The survey also found that voters across parties prefer that lawmakers prioritize conservation, rather than energy development, on federal public lands.
The survey comes as President Donald Trump has announced sweeping cuts to agencies that manage public lands, including mass firings at the Interior Department and Forest Service.
The poll was conducted in January, before Trump took office. Of the 3,316 voters surveyed, 75 percent opposed reducing funding to land management agencies, including 69 percent of self-identified “Make America Great Again” voters.
