BOISE, ID – Conservation of public lands remains a top priority for westerners, according to a new poll.

The “Conservation in the West” poll from Colorado College has looked at sentiments toward public lands for 15 years. Eight Mountain West states were part of the research this year, including Idaho.

Among Gem State respondents, 90% told researchers they want to keep national monuments established in the last decade in place.

Lori Weigel, partner at the polling firm New Bridge Strategy, said Republicans, Democrats and Independents agree on the issue.

“This is another case where we see, really across the partisan spectrum, that respondents are telling us, ‘No, we want to keep those national monument designations in place,'” Weigel reported.

Idaho voters voiced concerns about habitat loss for fish and wildlife in the poll, and also said they oppose reducing protections for rare plants and animals on the endangered species list. And nearly three-quarters of respondents said they support only allowing energy companies to drill where there is a high likelihood of oil and gas.

Idahoans are less worried about climate change than other parts of the West, with 43% saying it is an “extremely” or “very” important issue.

Dave Metz, partner and president of FM3 Research, noted Idahoans feel more confident in local officials’ response to the crisis than in states like Arizona or New Mexico.

“The highest degrees of confidence we see are in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho,” Metz noted. “There is the geographic difference there. More northern states within the region are expressing more confidence than some of the southern states.”

Metz added there’s support for Native American tribes to have a bigger role in managing public lands.

“That sentiment cuts across racial and ethnic lines,” Metz stressed. “It’s basically nine out of 10 voters, regardless of their racial and ethnic background, who want to see more participation from tribes in making these kinds of decisions.”