The bipartisan poll, which surveyed voters in eight Mountain West states—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—finds that Latino voters express strong support for protecting water resources, addressing climate change, and safeguarding national public lands.

“This year’s poll comes at a critical moment. Across the West, these environmental and health challenges are intensifying—and communities are paying attention,” said Maite Arce, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. “This year’s poll reflects more than policy preferences—it reflects values. A belief that our public lands belong to all of us. A belief that water is too precious to waste. A belief that recreation, access, and conservation can and must coexist with responsible land and energy decisions.”

Latino voters report high concern levels on key environmental threats:

• 66% say PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in water supplies are an extremely or very serious problem
• 65% cite inadequate water supplies as extremely or very serious
• 63% cite pollution of rivers, lakes, and streams—the highest concern of any demographic group

Concerns intensify when specific water threats are considered:

• 92% see aging water infrastructure as a threat to water quality and supply
• 89% see post-wildfire ash and erosion as a threat
• 87% see climate change as a threat to water
• 84% see oil and gas development as a threat

Latino voters also strongly support regional cooperation to protect the Colorado River: 80% support requiring all basin states to reduce water use to preserve the river’s health.

As policymakers look ahead to the upcoming midterm elections, Latinos place exceptional importance on conservation in electoral decisions:

• 97% of Latino voters say it is important to continue funding the protection of private lands within national parks and other public lands, even as thousands of acres are currently up for sale
• 91% support keeping existing national monument protections in place
• 89% say issues involving public lands, waters, and wildlife are important in deciding whether to support an elected official—higher than any other demographic group
• 75% prefer Congress emphasize protecting clean water, air, and wildlife habitat and recreation over maximizing drilling and mining on public lands

Latinos also show strong concern about reductions in public-lands staffing and stewardship capacity:

• 90% concerned about fewer wildland firefighters
• 88% concerned about fewer park rangers and visitor-services staff
• 84% concerned about fewer scientists and wildlife biologists
• 67% say public lands and conservation issues are areas where Americans have more in common and should work together, as opposed to being partisan and making it hard to get things done.

“These findings underscore that Latino voters in the West see public lands not as abstract spaces, but as shared sources of water, culture, recreation, and economic stability,” said Vanessa Muñoz, Waterways Program Manager at Hispanic Access Foundation. “At the same time, they also see protecting these resources as an opportunity to bring people together across communities, advancing unity and collaboration while advocating for the long-term health of the lands their families and futures depend on.”

Latino voters show strong support for clean energy and collaborative problem-solving:

• 72% prioritize expanding renewable energy over drilling and mining for more coal, oil, and gas 
• Solar is the most supported energy source among Latinos (65%)
• Only 3% select coal as a preferred energy source

“The breadth of voices reflected in this poll strengthens the conversation,” said Arce. “Just as biodiversity strengthens an ecosystem, broad civic participation strengthens the durability of the solutions we pursue.”

The poll surveyed at least 400 registered voters in each of eight Western states (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, and WY) for a total sample of 3,419 voters. The survey was conducted January 2–18, 2026. The effective margin of error is ±2.42% for the total sample and at most ±4.9% per state. 

This is the sixteenth consecutive year Colorado College has measured public sentiment on conservation and public-lands issues in the West. The 2026 Conservation in the West Poll is a bipartisan survey conducted by Republican pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy and Democratic pollster Miranda Everitt of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates and funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Full results are available at https://hispanicaccess.org/ccpoll.