The survey of over 600 Dona Ana County residents shows 60% support for protecting the Organ Mountains with a national monument designation versus 30% who opposed a designation and 10% who were undecided. However, residents by a 67%-21% margin favored the designation being made through the legislative process with input from local stakeholders as opposed to a unilateral declaration from Washington DC.
Other findings included –
- 80% of the residents of the county had high or somewhat high interest in the proposed designation
- A majority of those surveyed indicated Recreational Access (32%) was the most important issue to be considered followed by Border Security (24%), Watershed Management (20%) and Economic Impacts (15%)
- 62% of the residents would be less likely to support a designation that restricted Border Patrol access
- By a 50%-25% margin, residents would be less likely to support a proposal that would restrict or prohibit the maintenance and construction of flood control projects
- By a 58%-29% margin, residents would be less likely to support a proposal that would prohibit or restrict livestock grazing
Finally, when given the informed option between the two current legislative proposals, residents overwhelming (73%-18%) chose the option that focused on protecting the Organ Mountains proper and rejected the idea of restrictions being placed on an additional 700 square miles of land throughout the county found in the Senate proposal.
GOAL Advocacy Board Member Nancy Brantley whose family has ranched in the area for seven generations issued the following statement:
“I hope this survey by GOAL Advocacy helps ensure that all of the concerns of the residents of Dona Ana County are addressed before any action is taken on the proposed monument designation. While a majority of the county does want some protections for the Organ Mountains, it is clear that the people of Dona Ana County do not want this done unilaterally by the heavy hand of Washington. Moreover, it is clear that residents of Dona Ana County want recreational access protected, strong border security and their rich tradition of ranching in the area protected for future generations.“
The survey was conducted by BWD Global on February 11, 2014 and has a 3.9 margin of error.
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4 comments:
The Goal Advocacy funded by Tea Party Congressman Steve Pearce and others did a bogus "push poll" against the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. It is sad Mr. Pearce stoops to "push polls." The poll results are an absolute lie.
I'm so sorry you don't care for the results.
The results are dishonest. We received a phony "push poll" against the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument on February 11th. Goal Advocacy, a so-called special interest organization formed to promote conservative policies such as espoused by Congressman Steve Pearce, has paid big bucks for the push poll. In fact Tea Party Congressman Steve Pearce gave the group $10,000. Jason Heffley, executive director of GOAL Advocacy, is a former member of Pearce’s congressional staff.
A push poll is intended only to disseminate scurrilous rumors rather than measure opinions. It would appear to be an unbiased telephone survey but it was used to only disseminate negative information about the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. The opinion poll telephone number was 202-800-5547.
President Obama should establish a national monument for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area before it is carved up by these special interests.
Go to the GOAL Advocacy website, www.goaladvocacy.com to see their purpose: "To promote policies and common-sense solutions that create jobs and strengthen our economy and to educate Americans on the positive impacts the oil, gas, and agricultural industries have on our economy." Why agriculture would ever align with oil and gas is a mystery. That this "poll" lacks legitimacy is obvious. It is an industry front group, not a polling firm. It has an agenda.
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