Poll: Utahns overwhelmingly support monuments, other public lands
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Bears Ears National Monument. Photo: George Frey/Getty Images)
President Trump's moves to dismantle agencies that manage public lands are deeply unpopular in the American West, a new poll shows.
The intrigue: Support for public lands and their existing management agencies is overwhelming in both blue-leaning and deep red states — including Utah — according to the bipartisan Conservation in the West survey, released Wednesday.
Stunning stat: Of more than 400 Utahns polled — including 40% who identified as "MAGA" — 76% said it was more important to protect water, air, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities than to maximize drilling and mining.
- The result was more lopsided than in any of the other seven states polled.
By the numbers: 85% of Utahns said they want career professionals, rather than new political appointees, to make decisions about public lands and natural resources.
- Asked whether they approved of various federal land management agencies, more than 60% supported the EPA and BLM, with support for the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service above 80%.
- Only 25% of Utah respondents said climate change was not a problem.
- 71% opposed funding cuts to federal public lands and environmental agencies, the poll found.
Zoom in: Of the Utahns asked, 65% opposed "removing protections on some areas of existing national public lands, particularly national monuments, to allow more drilling, mining and other development."
- The share of respondents "strongly opposed" leapt to 45.8% this year, up from 39% in 2024.
Context: The Trump administration has ordered a review of national monument boundaries, and Utah's Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante are considered highly likely to be reduced.
How it works: Democratic and Republican polling firms conducted the survey Jan. 3-17 — before Trump took office — but the president's approach toward public lands was widely known.
- The survey has a plus-or-minus 4.9-percentage-point margin of error at the state level and 2.46-point margin among the eight Mountain West states polled: Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada.