A large majority of registered Latino voters living in eight western states are concerned about the future of land, water air and wildlife, according to a recent survey by Colorado College.
Hispanic voters who were included in a larger survey of 3,413 people in January showed heightened concerns about measures to conserve the country’s outdoor landscape.
Some 79% support achieving the Biden administration's 30-by-30 goal of conserving 30% of land and inland waters in America and 30% of ocean areas by the year 2030, according to the poll.
While only 59% of western Latinos consider themselves to be conservationists, all of them support protecting drinking water sources. Some 88% of respondents describe the western water shortage as a problem, with 84% of Latino voters agreeing that the Colorado River is “in need of urgent action.”
“When we talk about conservation, we're talking about much more than protecting land, waters and climate that surrounds us,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “Conservation is also having to do with our health, the economy, work and social justice."
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Some 87% of Latino voters support directing funding to ensure adequate access to parks and natural areas for lower-income people and communities of color, and 89% support creating new national parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges and tribal protected areas to protect historic sites or areas for outdoor recreation.
The survey respondents live in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
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