华体会

华体会’s 12th annual State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West 2022 Poll released last month showed a spike in concern over issues like drought, inadequate water supplies, wildfires, the loss of wildlife habitats and natural spaces, and climate change among voters in the Mountain West. Those concerns align with continued strong support for pro-conservation policies.

The poll surveyed the views of voters in eight Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming), and found that 69% of voters are concerned about the future of nature, meaning land, water, air, and wildlife. Against that backdrop, 86% of Western voters now say issues involving clean water, clean air, wildlife, and public lands are important in their decision of whether to support an elected official. Voters in the Mountain West feel deeply connected to the outdoor landscapes that surround them. 88% of voters surveyed report at least one visit to national public lands like national parks, national forests, national monuments, and national wildlife refuges in the past year. Similarly, 93% report participating regularly in outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, camping, picnicking, bird and wildlife watching, biking, water sports, snow sports, hunting, and fishing. 74% say the presence of public lands in their state helps the local economy. At the same time, 48% of voters report making changes to where or when they recreated outdoors because of crowding, and 26% adjusted plans because of changes in climate like fires, less snow, or less water. 53% of voters view the loss of natural areas as a very or extremely serious problem.

Contest Winners

1st Place

Fraser Fire
Fraser, Colorado

Photo by Will Burdette, '22

A photo from the 2020 William's Fork fire near Fraser CO. The beautiful clouds are actually a huge bank of smoke. The photo captures the massive scale of more recent wildfires and reminds us we need to do more to preserve the environment. 

"Fraser Fire is a fascinating document of what are unfortunately becoming increasingly catastrophic events across the west. Rarely do we see the smoke clouds and standard clouds intersect in such a delicate way. This forward-looking perspective is something we have seen little of in the past but will be seeing much more frequently in the future." — Josh Raab

2nd Place

Red Rock Rainbow
Sedona, Arizona

Photo by Galileo Defandi Cho, '22

A rainbow splits the sky above Sedona, Arizona as a much-needed rain shower wets the red rock and earth below. Sedona is a prime example of a populous desert town with water usage that exceeds what can sustainably be provided. As the Southwest becomes drier due to climate change, towns like Sedona will have even less access to water than they currently do, forcing residents to either move or let their water usage cause exponentially more harm to the desert environment. Water is quickly becoming among the most valuable resources worldwide, and the Southwest United States, including Sedona, will be one of the first places to suffer.

"Red Rock Rainbow is an excellent well composed landscape photograph with beautiful light capturing a rain storm with the beauty of a rainbow in the dry environment of the American Southwest. The photograph and the accompanying text point out the coming issues of water deficits brought on by climate change resulting in diminishing precipitation in areas in the Southwest. The question remains, will there be enough precipitation from storms such as seen in this beautiful photograph to sustainably maintain water sources for human populations in the arid Southwest?" — Steve Weaver

3rd Place

Rocks are Mountains, Mountains are Rocks
Garden of the Gods, Colorado

Photo by Sidney Derzon, '23