A new survey of voters in Mountain West states whose views span the political spectrum found lackluster support for some of the Trump administration's energy plans.
Since declaring a “national energy emergency” on Jan. 20, President Trump’s team has implemented policies to streamline oil and gas leases on federal lands and shorten windows for public input.
The poll, conducted between March 27 and April 10, shows “broad public support” for community involvement in these decisions, said David Willms, the executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, which released the results.
“Decisions to lease oil and gas development should be done carefully,” Willms said.
More than two in three of the surveyed voters said they oppose reducing environmental review processes and public input opportunities for proposed oil and gas leases. That includes hundreds of Democrats and Independents in Colorado, the Dakotas, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming,
Republicans, including ardent Trump supporters, also expressed concern.
“So even among that very conservative MAGA [Make America Great Again] group, we saw that there was opposition to these policy concepts affecting national public lands,” said Lori Weigel with New Bridge Strategy, the polling firm which conducted the survey and claims “roots in Republican politics,” according to its website.
Weigel said many conservative Trump loyalists were also concerned about private property issues, such as the possibilities of increased use of eminent domain, where the federal government can take portions of privately owned property.
Additionally, more than seven in 10 respondents — and eight in 10 in Wyoming — said oil and gas drilling should be restricted to areas where there is high likelihood those fossil fuels will be produced.
Department of the Interior spokesperson J. Elizabeth Peace said the agency doesn’t have a comment on “someone else’s survey,” but that the last election made it clear that energy security is a “top concern” for families across the country.
“We’re delivering more American energy, more efficiently, and with fewer regulatory roadblocks,” Peace added. “That means lower costs, more jobs and greater security for American families and businesses—especially during a time when energy affordability matters more than ever.”
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
