Conservation Poll: Nevadans Very Concerned About Drought
Suzanne Potter, Producer
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
LAS VEGAS - Nevadans are highly concerned about the drought; 72 percent say it is extremely or very serious according to the new 2016 Conservation in the West poll by Colorado College.
Residents ranked drought higher in importance than voters from six other western states did. The poll found 68 percent of Nevadans support additional conservation measures over diversion of water from rivers in less populated areas. State Assemblyman Edgar Flores says much of the problem could be solved if people used water wisely.
"It's a everybody coming to the table type of issue," Flores says. "And not just looking at how are we going to find more water, but 'What am I doing to making sure that the water we do have, we're preserving it and utilizing it in the most efficient manner.'"
Nevada is the driest state in the nation, with the lowest annual rainfall. The state has received $1.8 million in federal funding to implement the "Water Smart" conservation program.
The poll also asked people about public land and found a majority in the Silver State oppose efforts to transfer federal land to state control.
Mauricia Baca is executive director with the Outside Las Vegas Foundation.
"Whenever people discover these recreational opportunities they become more and more deeply connected to Nevada as a state," says Baca. "If it were to transfer to a different sort of control where perhaps it was more privatized, that access would be restricted."
The poll also found that more than three quarters of Nevadans say conservation is important when choosing political candidates, and 72 percent support continuing investment in the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
get more stories like this via email
United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…
Social Issues
The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …
Environment
Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …
Environment
April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …
Health and Wellness
The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …
Environment
Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …