Purple power

Sec. of Interior Ryan Zinke is unpopular among outdoorsy Western swing voters, even in his home state of Montana. No shocker there.

A new poll shows the growing influence of the “Outdoor Voting Bloc” among Western swing, aka purple, states.

The new “Winning the West 2018” poll released Wednesday by the Center for Western Priorities reveals how public lands, parks and wildlife play a role in moving Western voters to the polls and influencing who they vote for.

It may come as no surprise, but the Trump Administration’s policies on public lands are about as popular as the man himself, with a dismal 23 percent approval rating among Colorado voters, according to the poll. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is not any better, with an upside down approval rating in all five of the Western 

swing states polled (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Montana.)

“In 2016 we saw the rise of public lands and the outdoors as a wedge issue in several competitive races in the Mountain West,” Jennifer Rokala, director of the Center for Western Priorities, said. “With a peaking voter backlash against efforts to drill and mine recklessly on public lands or shrink national monuments, we expect to see outdoor issues playing an even more decisive role.”

In fact, more than 80 percent of voters view public lands as important when choosing candidates. Among the most notable findings:

• Seventy-seven percent of voters – including Republicans, Democrats and independents – were opposed to reductions in the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. Likewise, 74 percent oppose opening public lands near national parks and monuments to oil and gas; and 67 percent oppose rolling back environmental regulations on oil and gas development.

• Colorado voters place heightened importance on the outdoor recreation economy, with 87 percent saying it’s important to the state’s economy; and 86 percent agreeing that public lands and the outdoor lifestyle are important to attracting good jobs and companies to the state.

• Renewable energy is preferred over mining and drilling, with 84 percent of Colorado voters favoring investment in renewable energy sources.

The online poll was conducted in June by an independent research firm. Complete poll results are available at WinningTheWest2018.org.

The Denver-based Center for Western Priorities is a conservation policy and advocacy organization focused on land and energy issues across the West.