The Daily - February 1, 2019 - 76

Show News
F R O M

T H E

F L O O R

Data Speaks
AS THE SEARCH FOR A NEW

Secretary of the Interior heats
up in Washington D.C., data
presented at the Snow Show's
lunch event, "State of the Rockies
and Conservation in the West,"
painted a clear picture of what
the majority of Western voters
want: a candidate who will, first
and foremost, base decisions in
science and emphasize conservation of wildlife and nature.
For decades the west has been
a melting pot of political opinions
and outdoor recreation preferences, hosting liberals and conservatives, hunters and tree-huggers
alike. But new data from the
ninth-annual Conservation in the
West Poll indicates the differences on conservation issues between
Westerners might be melting
away more than anything else.
Between Jan. 2 and 9, 2019,
the bipartisan research team-
Republican-affiliated New
Bridge Strategies and Democrat-affiliated Fairbank, Maslin,
Maullin, Metz & Associates-
polled 400 registered voters in
eight states in the west, making
more than 3,200 phone calls.
Key findings indicate support
for conservation issues in the
West transcends party lines.

"In every single state, we saw
an increase in [the perception
of] climate change being a
problem," said Lori Weigel of
New Bridge Strategies. Republicans viewing climate change
as a serious problem increased 8
percent over the last four years,
while Democrats saw an increase of 12 percent.
In the wake of policy changes
ushered in by the Trump administration affecting land, water,
and wildlife, the poll suggests
voters view such changes as
"more bad than good, by a wide
margin." The administration's
call for national monument
reductions, for example, is condemned by all states' majorities,
including Utah.
Even support for conservation-focused taxes found purple
ground. Fifty-three percent of
republicans reported they'd be
willing to increase taxes for conservation, while 87 percent of
democrats agreed. "It really does
speak to the degree to which
conservation really is a bipartisan issue," said Dave Metz,
partner at Fairbank, Maslin,
Maullin, Metz & Associates.
According to the poll, seven
out of 10 Westerners identify

FOR DECADES THE WEST HAS BEEN A MELTING POT OF POLITICAL OPINIONS AND
OUTDOOR RECREATION PREFERENCES,
HOSTING LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES,
HUNTERS AND TREE-HUGGERS ALIKE.
76

/ SNOW SHOW 2019

themselves as "outdoor recreation enthusiasts." The data suggests that
a voter's connection with the outdoor industry can be just as, if not
more, important than identifying with traditional political parties.

POLARTEC GOES GREEN(ER)

The company commits to using 100 percent recycled
materials and creating biodegradable fleece.

Karen
Beattie of
Polartec.

REUSE, RECYCLE, AND BIODEGRADE. YESTERDAY AT THE SHOW,

Polartec announced that it's committing to using 100 percent recycled
materials and creating biodegradability across its line. The company is
partnering with Unifi and Intrinsic Advanced Materials' CiCLO technology to create biodegradable polyester and nylon fabrics in its "eco-engineering" initiative. "Our objective is 100 percent recycled inputs, and on
the other end, 100 percent biodegradability," said David Karstad, Polartec's vice president of marketing and creative director.
Biodegradability is a big goal. "Right now, the only thing we can really do
with confidence is polyester," Karstad said. Next up is polyurethane, which
would allow the company to make biodegradable waterproof-breathable
products. Even though it's commiting to biodegradability, Polartec remains
committed to its durability ethos. "We don't want our products to end up
in landfills, but we know some portion of them will, so [biodegradability]
makes us sleep better at night," said Darren Josey, Polartec's North American marketing manager.
Forty of Polartec's products are already made from 100 percent recycled materials, and 200 are 50 percent or more recycled materials. Josey
said the new initiative continues the legacy that began in 1993, when the
company first turned recycled plastic bottles into fabric. -Jenn Fields

L AU R E N DA N I L E K

New conservation poll indicates both
blue and red Westerners are engaged in
conservation issues more than ever before.
By Emma Murray

The Daily - February 1, 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Daily - February 1, 2019