Poll says Nevadans will vote in part on environmental issues

Environmental issues will affect who Nevadans vote for, according to a poll by the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

The poll of 600 Nevadans likely to vote this year showed 84 percent of voters in all parts of the state and different parties will weigh environmental positions in deciding who they support in November. The poll was conducted between Feb. 29 and March 5 by Greenberg Quinlan Research.

According to the league, environmental concerns reached into many areas from clean water and air to the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The poll showed that concerns about crime and drugs were prominent in the minds of 75 percent of voters and education 70 percent.

"Nevadans clearly oppose pollution of our water and air," said Tom Meyers, director of Great Basin Mine Watch.

"This poll clearly shows that Nevadans understand the relationship between a healthy environment and a healthy economy," said Matt Holford of Nevada Trout Unlimited. "The fact is that Nevadans believe that clean water and healthy ecosystems can go hand in hand with improved local economies and quality of life."

They said Nevada lawmakers must listen to people and make natural resource protection a top policy priority.

The poll also showed that 70 percent of voters believe laws protecting the environment are either not strong enough or are not being enforced.

"Contrary to what many of our legislators believe, Nevadans want more environmental protection and enforcement, not less," said Marge Sill of the Sierra Club.

"I think we will see the environment take center stage in the public policy debate from the protection of public lands in Nevada to urban sprawl to water allocation."

Other key findings in the poll are that 71 percent of Nevadans would favor a candidate acting in the best interests of the environment over one who wants to reduce the regulatory burden on business. It also found that most Nevadans don't believe there must be a tradeoff between the environment and the economy.

A total of 64 percent support protecting federally owned land for environmental and recreational purposes over economic development.

The League of Conservation voters Education Fund is nonprofit and nonpartisan and dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues.