Poll Finds "Wilderness" Idea
Unpopular When Facts Intrude

DENVER —(AP)— Citing a recent poll, a conservative group says public support for adding more wilderness designations in Colorado is not as enthusiastic as environmental activists have claimed.

The poll by the Center for the New West said 55.5 percent of respondents support a bill by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., that would add 1.4 million acres to the wilderness system in Colorado, mostly on the Western Slope.

The numbers dropped sharply when the poll's 511 Colorado voters were told that wilderness designation means stricter federal control of the land and precludes all development, mining, roads and permanent structures — even utility lines.

When given that information, only 38.7 percent were supportive, while 48.7 percent were opposed, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

``Most people want places they can go for solitude and for recreation and for the enjoyment of nature where you also have not just natural amenities, but cultural amenities,'' New West president Phil Burgess said. ``And a cultural amenity for most people is an indoor toilet — it's a permanent facility.

When DeGette introduced her bill in February, she cited a poll by the League of Conservation Voters showing 80 percent support for more wilderness. DeGette claimed the New West poll used biased questions and is not representative of support for her bill.

(A "biased" question, it appears, is one that provides enough information for people to make a reasoned decision. That is in contrast to the Left's "unbiased" polls, tailored to elicit an ignorant, knee-jerk emotional reaction to a hot-button issue. — Ed.)

``It's clear from their agenda that they're against federal control of federal lands,'' said DeGette spokesman Jamin Spitzer. ``They've crafted a poll to support that premise.''

Denver-based Center for the New West is backed by leaders of more than a dozen major Western industries, and the board includes several Republican elected officials. To dispel the appearance of bias, a firm identified with Democrats was chosen to conduct the poll.

The selection did not satisfy Suzanne Jones of the Wilderness Society, who called the poll ``deliberately misleading'' because it does not explain the benefits of wilderness such as protecting watersheds and wildlife habitat.