Voter Opinions

Survey of 1,128 U.S. Likely Voters

1

Have you ever visited Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

35% Yes
64% No
2% Not sure
2

Would you like to visit Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

[Answered by 735 respondents who haven't visited Yellowstone]

68% Yes
20% No
12% Not sure
3

How important is the wildlife to those park visits? The main reason you visit, one of the two main reasons, important but not one of the top two reasons, or it is not an important reason to visit?

[Answered by 890 respondents who have visited or want to visit Yellowstone]

23% Main reason
51% Top two
23% Important but not top two
3% Not important
0% Not sure
4

Are you aware that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is unique in the Lower 48 States in still having all of its original large wildlife species, including grizzly bears, elk, bison, and wolves?

63% Yes
27% No
10% Not sure
5

How important to you is it that large wildlife species continue to survive and flourish in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem?

70% Very important
25% Somewhat important
4% Not very important
1% Not at all important
1% Not sure
6

Are you aware that the vast majority of large mammals in the Yellowstone-Tetons Parks rely upon surrounding PRIVATE lands to survive during at least part of the year?

45% Yes
39% No
16% Not sure
7

Does the United States have a responsibility to the rest of the world to preserve the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem or is preserving this ecosystem not a matter of global concern?

70% Yes
20% No
10% Not sure
8

In recent decades, the population of the private lands of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has increased by more than half. The nearly 200,000 additional residents contributed to the development of about 240 square miles of wildlife habitat and farmland. Are you very concerned, concerned, a bit concerned, or unconcerned about this trend?

30% Very concerned
44% Somewhat concerned
17% Not very concerned
6% Not at all concerned
3% Not sure
9

The main source of national population growth is immigration from other countries. Should the federal government reduce annual immigration to slow down population growth, keep immigration and population growth at the current level, or increase annual immigration and population growth?

57% Reduce
28% Current level
7% Increase
8% Not sure
10

Currently the federal government adds about one million legal immigrants to the country each year. What annual level would you prefer:

11% 2 million +
9% 1.5 million
23% 1 million
20% 0.5 million
25% 100k or less
13% Not sure
11

Currently, in addition to the million legal immigrants each year, about 2.5 million inadmissible foreign citizens overstay a visa, avoid the border patrol, or are released into the country every year. In trying to control illegal immigration, should the government mandate that all employers use the federal electronic E-Verify system to help ensure that they hire only legal workers for U.S. jobs?

75% Yes
10% No
15% Not sure
12

Do you feel an emotional or spiritual uplift from time spent in natural areas such as forests, wetlands, meadows, and mountains?

74% Yes
13% No
13% Not sure
13

One way to accommodate continued population growth in Greater Yellowstone without losing as much natural habitat and farmland to development would be to increase population density by changing zoning and other regulations so more residents live in apartments, condos, and townhouses instead of single-family houses. Do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose this kind of change?

20% Strongly favor
32% Somewhat favor
19% Somewhat oppose
17% Strongly oppose
12% Not sure
14

Zoning, urban growth boundaries, and limiting the number of new hook-ups to sewage treatment systems are examples of planning or “smart growth” tools for accommodating population growth while attempting to reduce new development and sprawl from spreading further into the surrounding countryside. Do you favor using such planning tools as a means of limiting sprawl?

53% Yes
17% No
30% Not sure
15

Do you favor paying higher property taxes to accommodate new residents and residential development into your community?

17% Yes
70% No
13% Not sure

Conducted July 28-29, 2024, by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence

CONDUCTED JULY 28-29, 2024, BY RASMUSSEN REPORTS AND NUMBERSUSA

Photography by Holly Pippel

Survey of 829 Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming Likely Voters

1

Have you ever visited Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

83% Yes
16% No
1% Not sure
2

Would you like to visit Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

[Answered by the 138 respondents who had not visited Yellowstone]

84% Yes
14% No
2% Not sure
3

How many times have you visited Yellowstone National Park?

[Answered by the 691 respondents who have visited Yellowstone:

18% Once
53% 2 to 6 times
13% 7 to 12 times
16% More than 12 times
1% Not sure
4

How often EACH YEAR do you tend to visit Yellowstone-Grand Tetons?

[Answered by the 691 respondents who have visited Yellowstone]

53% Never or less than once per year
38% Once or twice
4% 3 to 6 times
1% 7 to 12 times
1% More than 12 times
3% Not sure
5

How important is the wildlife to those park visits? The main reason you visit, one of the two main reasons, important but not one of the top two reasons, or it is not an important reason to visit?

[Answered by the 807 respondents who have visited or want to visit Yellowstone]

26% Main reason
53% Top two
18% Important but not top two
3% Not important
1% Not sure
6

Are you aware that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is unique in the Lower 48 States in still having all of its original large wildlife species, including grizzly bears, elk, bison, and wolves?

83% Yes
13% No
4% Not sure
7

How important to you is it that large wildlife species continue to survive and flourish in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem?

76% Very important
19% Somewhat important
3% Not very important
1% Not at all important
1% Not sure
8

Are you aware that the vast majority of large mammals in the Yellowstone-Tetons Parks rely upon surrounding PRIVATE lands to survive during at least part of the year?

68% Yes
23% No
9% Not sure
9

In recent decades, the population of the private lands of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has increased by more than half. The nearly 200,000 additional residents contributed to the development of about 240 square miles of wildlife habitat and farmland. Are you very concerned, concerned, a bit concerned, or unconcerned about this trend?

36% Very concerned
39% Somewhat concerned
16% Not very concerned
5% Not at all concerned
4% Not sure
10

The main source of Greater Yellowstone’s population growth is people moving in from other states. Should local and state governments in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho make it more difficult for people to move to the region from other states by restricting development?

68% Yes
17% No
16% Not sure
11

The main source of national population growth is immigration from other countries. Should the federal government reduce annual immigration to slow down population growth, keep immigration and population growth at the current level, or increase annual immigration and population growth?

59% Reduce
27% Current level
7% Increase
7% Not sure
12

Currently, in addition to the million legal immigrants each year, about 2.5 million inadmissible foreign citizens overstay a visa, avoid the border patrol, or are released into the country every year. In trying to control illegal immigration, should the government mandate that all employers use the federal electronic E-Verify system to help ensure that they hire only legal workers for U.S. jobs?

77% Yes
9% No
14% Not sure
13

Does the United States have a responsibility to the rest of the world to preserve the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem or is preserving this ecosystem not a matter of global concern?

76% Yes
14% No
10% Not sure
14

Do you feel an emotional or spiritual uplift from time spent in natural areas such as forests, wetlands, meadows, and mountains?

86% Yes
8% No
6% Not sure
15

One way to accommodate continued population growth in Greater Yellowstone without losing as much natural habitat and farmland to development would be to increase population density by changing zoning and other regulations so more residents live in apartments.

24% Strongly favor
31% Somewhat favor
20% Somewhat oppose
16% Strongly oppose
10% Not sure
16

Zoning, urban growth boundaries, and limiting the number of new hook-ups to sewage treatment systems are examples of planning or “smart growth” tools for accommodating population growth while attempting to reduce new development and sprawl from spreading further into the surrounding countryside. Do you favor using such planning tools as a means of limiting sprawl?

64% Yes
15% No
21% Not sure
17

Do you favor paying higher property taxes to accommodate new residents and residential development into your community?

20% Yes
69% No
11% Not sure
18

When considering why you live in this region, which of the following reasons is most important to you? Please listen to the entire list before responding.

37% Natural beauty and wildlife
6% Recreation opportunities
12% Low crime
10% Affordable housing and cost of living

18% Family ties
11% Some other reason
6% Not sure

Conducted July 28-30, 2024, by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence

CONDUCTED JULY 28-30, 2024, BY RASMUSSEN REPORTS AND NUMBERSUSA

Photography by Holly Pippel

VOTER OPINIONS

Survey of 1,128 U.S. Likely Voters

1

Have you ever visited Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

2

Would you like to visit Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

[Answered by 735 respondents who haven't visited Yellowstone]

3

How important is the wildlife to those park visits? The main reason you visit, one of the two main reasons, important but not one of the top two reasons, or it is not an important reason to visit?

[Answered by 890 respondents who have visited or want to visit Yellowstone]

4

Are you aware that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is unique in the Lower 48 States in still having all of its original large wildlife species, including grizzly bears, elk, bison, and wolves?

5

How important to you is it that large wildlife species continue to survive and flourish in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem?

6

Are you aware that the vast majority of large mammals in the Yellowstone-Tetons Parks rely upon surrounding PRIVATE lands to survive during at least part of the year?

7

Does the United States have a responsibility to the rest of the world to preserve the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem or is preserving this ecosystem not a matter of global concern?

8

9

The main source of national population growth is immigration from other countries. Should the federal government reduce annual immigration to slow down population growth, keep immigration and population growth at the current level, or increase annual immigration and population growth?

10

Currently the federal government adds about one million legal immigrants to the country each year. What annual level would you prefer:

11

12

Do you feel an emotional or spiritual uplift from time spent in natural areas such as forests, wetlands, meadows, and mountains?

13

14

15

Do you favor paying higher property taxes to accommodate new residents and residential development into your community?

Conducted July 28-29, 2024, by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA

Survey of 829 Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming Likely Voters

1

Have you ever visited Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

2

Would you like to visit Yellowstone or Grand Tetons National Parks?

[Answered by the 138 respondents who had not visited Yellowstone]

3

How many times have you visited Yellowstone National Park?

[Answered by the 691 respondents who have visited Yellowstone:

4

How often EACH YEAR do you tend to visit Yellowstone-Grand Tetons?

[Answered by the 691 respondents who have visited Yellowstone]

5

How important is the wildlife to those park visits? The main reason you visit, one of the two main reasons, important but not one of the top two reasons, or it is not an important reason to visit?

[Answered by the 807 respondents who have visited or want to visit Yellowstone]

6

Are you aware that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is unique in the Lower 48 States in still having all of its original large wildlife species, including grizzly bears, elk, bison, and wolves?

7

How important to you is it that large wildlife species continue to survive and flourish in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem?

8

Are you aware that the vast majority of large mammals in the Yellowstone-Tetons Parks rely upon surrounding PRIVATE lands to survive during at least part of the year?

9

10

The main source of Greater Yellowstone’s population growth is people moving in from other states. Should local and state governments in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho make it more difficult for people to move to the region from other states by restricting development?

11

The main source of national population growth is immigration from other countries. Should the federal government reduce annual immigration to slow down population growth, keep immigration and population growth at the current level, or increase annual immigration and population growth?

12

13

Does the United States have a responsibility to the rest of the world to preserve the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem or is preserving this ecosystem not a matter of global concern?

14

Do you feel an emotional or spiritual uplift from time spent in natural areas such as forests, wetlands, meadows, and mountains?

15

One way to accommodate continued population growth in Greater Yellowstone without losing as much natural habitat and farmland to development would be to increase population density by changing zoning and other regulations so more residents live in apartments.

16

17

Do you favor paying higher property taxes to accommodate new residents and residential development into your community?

18

When considering why you live in this region, which of the following reasons is most important to you? Please listen to the entire list before responding.

Conducted July 28-30, 2024, by Rasmussen Reports and NumbersUSA

Two Decades of NumbersUSA Studies on Population Growth and Urban Sprawl

STUDIES

REPORTS