As momentum mounts to permanently protect the lands around Grand Canyon National Park, opponents of the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument released a new “poll” that would make even the most experienced push-pollster blush.
To assure the desired result—which was to claim that Arizonans are opposed to a new national monument around the Grand Canyon—the pollster asked just a single question, which was terribly biased and manipulative. Here’s the question:
The federal, state and tribal governments in Arizona already own 81.8 percent of all Arizona land, leaving just 18.2 percent open to private owners. Do you support the special interests’ effort to lock up 1.7 million more acres in Northern Arizona by presidential executive order – which could kill jobs, harm tourism, agriculture and water rights, and prevent hunting and fishing?
Not only does the poll question neglect to mention the “Grand Canyon” or “national monuments”—both of which are absolutely critical to this debate—but it uses loaded, biased, and outright false terminology.
It should go without saying, but the “special interests” the pollster is referring to are the tribal leaders who have asked President Obama to protect the Greater Grand Canyon. The national monument would not “lock up” the lands, but would permanently protect the gateway of the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. Rather than “killing jobs,” economists have found that the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument would preserve and enhance northern Arizona’s outdoor recreation economy. And the new national monument would not “prevent hunting,” but would protect and preserve access for current and future hunters and anglers.
Opponents of the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument are resorting to backhanded tactics because balanced and bipartisan public opinion research has demonstrated broad support for the proposed monument. A bipartisan poll by Colorado College from earlier this year asked Arizona voters the following question:
A proposal is under consideration to protect just 1.7 million acres of existing public lands surrounding the Grand Canyon as a National Monument. This would make permanent the current ban on uranium and other mining in these lands, including along the Colorado River and national forest land. Would you support or oppose designating these existing public lands as a national monument?
This balanced question found that 73 percent of Arizona voters support the national monument proposal, while only 16 percent stand in opposition. This level of support clearly has the well-funded effort to oppose protections around the Grand Canyon in fits over how to undermine public opinion. But like so many conservation opponents who came before, time will tell that they stand on the wrong side of history.