FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2019
DENVER—Colorado voters overwhelmingly believe the Interior Department must strike a better balance between preserving public lands and responsible energy development and are concerned about the ethical conflicts facing Acting Interior Secretary and former oil and gas lobbyist David Bernhardt, according to a new Keating Research poll released today by the Center for Western Priorities.
Asked what mattered most for the Interior Department under Acting Secretary and Rifle, Colorado native David Bernhardt, nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) said the agency must do a better job striking a balance between preserving public lands and responsible energy development. Just 18% said what mattered most for the department was increased oil and gas development. And only 3% said having a Coloradan running the department was the most important issue.
Read the full poll results here.
“These results are the latest in a series of findings to demonstrate that a majority of Colorado voters—regardless of party—place a premium on preserving our public lands,” said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities. “To think that the Department of Interior can continue to prioritize oil and gas development above all else runs the risk of putting the administration and its supporters squarely at odds with the Colorado electorate.”
Additionally, the poll found that 77% of Colorado voters are concerned (35% very concerned, 26% somewhat concerned and 16% a little concerned) that clients Bernhardt previously lobbied for have business before the department he currently runs.
Financial disclosures and ethics recusals show that prior to taking a job with the Department of Interior, Bernhardt provided lobbying and legal services to more than two dozen clients, which include oil, gas, and mining companies and trade associations. A previous analysis by CWP shows that despite his recusals, the Interior Department has taken numerous policy actions requested or supported by Bernhardt’s former clients.
Bernhardt took over as Acting Interior Secretary after Ryan Zinke resigned earlier this month. In May of 2017, Bernhardt admitted he would not have qualified for his previous position of Deputy Interior Secretary under Obama-era ethics rules.
The poll, conducted January 20-24, 2019 by Keating Research, is based on 500 live-interviewer telephone surveys among “active” voters statewide in Colorado: 74% conducted on cell-phone and 26% conducted on a land line. For this sample of 500 interviews, the worst case margin of error at the 95% level is plus or minus 4.4%.
Jennifer Rokala is available for interviews. To speak to an expert on public lands, contact Deputy Director Aaron Weiss at 720-279-0019 or aaron@westernpriorities.org.
For more information, visit westernpriorities.org. Sign up for Look West to get daily public lands and energy news sent to your inbox.
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