2024 State of the Rockies Press Release D2a
Colorado College has recently produced the 2024 State of the Rockies report. 3,376 phone and online interviews were conducted with registered voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming – states with a high percentage of outdoor recreation. 88% of westerners in the study (residents of these states) visited national public lands in the past year, with hiking and camping being the most prominent activities. Beyond just visiting these areas, the majority of westerners sought out news on nature, wildlife, or recreation. Many also donated money or volunteered to help nature or wildlife.
This report revealed that concern about children not spending enough time in the outdoors stands at an all-time high. Additionally, westerners are nearly unanimous in seeing nature as a way to address the mental health crisis in young people.
The concern for conservation issues transcended the political spectrum, with the vast majority of voters saying that it is an important factor in determining their support.
In the state of Colorado, 83% of voters support achieving 30×30 conservation goals, with 50% strongly supporting them. Additionally, 84% of voters in Colorado believe that poor drinking water quality in lower income communities is a big issue. Overall, the data continues to reveal that issues in clean energy production, preserving natural areas, and having adequate resources are all very important issues to Colorado residents and westerners in general.
To read more, visit 2024 Poll Results – Colorado College
To view the distributed Press Release, click here!