DENVER – Voters in Colorado and other western states continue to support conservation policies for publicly owned lands, putting them at odds with the Trump administration's energy dominance agenda, according to the ninth annual Conservation in the West Poll from Colorado College.

Gov. Jared Polis says the poll's results show a clear mandate to keep public lands accessible for outdoor recreation, which he sees as a vital part of the Colorado way of life.

"That's really one of the reasons that people choose to live here, why people move here, why people visit our state,” Polis says. “Over 500,000 people work in outdoor recreation and tourism that puts food on the table for their families."

Polis says the survey also confirms that voters see climate change as a major threat to agriculture, skiing and water supplies.

The new governor is making the transition to 100 percent renewable energy from power grids by 2040 a top priority, and he says he's committed to adding more clean energy jobs.

The Trump administration is taking steps to prioritize coal, oil and gas production on federal lands in an effort it maintains will reduce dependence on foreign sources.

Pollster Dave Metz says the survey shows voters overwhelmingly value conservation over resource extraction when it comes to public land management priorities.

"Almost two thirds of voters said that their priority was protecting sources of clean water, air quality and wildlife habitat – as well as opportunities for recreation – while only about one quarter said that producing more domestic energy was a priority for them," Metz points out.

Nearly 9 in 10 Coloradans believe the outdoor recreation economy is important for the future of the
state.

Conservation in the West is a bipartisan survey conducted by Republican and Democratic polling firms. The poll surveyed a minimum of 400 registered voters in eight western states, including Colorado.


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GUNNISON, Colo. - A new report identifies the areas most valuable for preserving biodiversity and fighting climate change within the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests, which are managed as a unit commonly known as "G-MUG."

Researchers with Conservation Science Partners identified the top 10% of areas of high ecological value. Report coauthor Justin Suraci said he hopes the data will guide the U.S. Forest Service, which is working on a new forest plan for the area, with input from stakeholders, including tribes.

"They have to revise how they're managing the forest in terms of places that they will designate for resource extraction or motor-vehicle use," he said, "versus setting places aside for biodiversity, conservation, et cetera."

People can find the draft proposal and submit public comments on the U.S. Forest Service site now through Friday, Nov. 26. Local groups are submitting a joint Community Conservation Proposal for consideration.

Mike Burkley, an outdoorsman from Paonia in the North Fork Valley, said he's glad places such as the top of Mount Lamborn made the list.

"It's known to be one of the best habitats for black bears in Colorado, and it's got a lot of elk, deer," he said. "Great solitude, incredible scenery. And it's a very important water source for our valley."

Scientists looked at multiple criteria to select the areas of high ecological value, including the amount of carbon they sequester above and below ground, and the number of imperiled species.

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Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

STRATFORD, Conn. -- A restoration project broke ground yesterday that will revive one of Connecticut's largest salt marshes thanks to a $4 million dollar investment in the coastline.

Southern Connecticut's Great Meadows Marsh was once more than 1,400 acres, but due to land-use changes, the marsh is now less than 700 acres and faces challenges including invasive plants and mosquitoes.

Corrie Folsom-O'Keefe, director of bird conservation at Audubon Connecticut, one of the project's partners, said one segment of the project focuses on habitat restoration, including the creation of hummocks, or soil mounds, for salt-marsh sparrows, a vulnerable bird species.

Folsom-O'Keefe pointed out if the project is successful, the model can be replicated in Connecticut and beyond.

"That's sort of a strategy that Audubon and other partners are testing out," Folsom-O'Keefe outlined. "To see if -- salt-marsh sparrows, which are the species that's most likely to go extinct because of sea-level rise -- by creating these mounds, we're hoping that they'll nest on top of the mounds and their nests will be a little less susceptible to flooding."

The project will restore more than 33 acres of salt marsh and other habitats along the coast.

The Great Meadows Marsh is part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Some goals of the project include reducing mosquito populations, re-establishing native marsh vegetation, and improving access to the Stratford community through trails and viewing platforms.

The project also is an opportunity for local residents to volunteer with restoration efforts.

Kelly Kerrigan, environmental conservation superintendent for the Town of Stratford, said the town is partnering with Audubon Connecticut to create the "Salt Marsh Stewards," a paid conservation program for local high school students.

"I hope that we're training that next generation of environmental stewards and imprinting that importance of the environment they can bring back to their families, bring back to their friends because these are obviously treasured resources, especially Great Meadows Marsh," Kerrigan stated. "After our generation leaves, it's up to the next to carry the torch."

The project is expected to be completed by Spring or Summer 2022.

SALT LAKE CITY -- If you went camping on Utah's public lands this past summer, you were not alone, literally.

A new survey shows a major increase in camping on national public lands in the past decade, with a notable spike during the pandemic. The estimated occupancy for reserved campsites in Utah in the summer months has seen a 77% increase from 2014 to 2020.

Tyler McIntosh, conservation and research manager at The Center for Western Priorities and the report's author, said interest in the great outdoors has exploded in recent years.

"Looking at a lot of the polling, we see that they're incredibly popular," McIntosh confirmed. "Polling from Colorado College in 2020 found that 84% of Westerners support creating new protected areas like national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges and tribal protected areas."

While conservation groups applauded the increased interest in public lands, McIntosh noted there are concerns the parks have limited resources, and overcrowding could strain them. The study showed increased use demonstrated a need for more funding for land-management systems.

McIntosh added nationally, growth in national parks visitation has smashed records this year, while campgrounds and other facilities on protected lands outside the National Park System were not as full, leaving extra room for camping in other areas.

"The national parks consistently has the highest levels of occupancy," McIntosh reported. "There's been a huge growth in the popularity of other national public lands, which tells me that the public is beginning to discover these other landscapes, to love them, and to want to spend time out on them."

For those looking for less crowded campsites, the report has an interactive tool to search campgrounds with highest and lowest site occupancy, in Utah and other states. Results can be filtered by season, by weekdays or weekends, or by year.