New National Poll Finds Parks Are Political and Physical Solution to Address Climate

Washington – According to a new National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) poll, America’s more than 420 national parks are physical and political solutions for addressing climate change. The national poll found that a majority of Americans, nearly 9 out of 10 (88%), say climate change is negatively impacting U.S. national parks. There is an exceptionally strong bipartisan majority that see parks as part of the solution to address climate change. And most Americans, regardless of political party, would be more likely to support a representative who supported a bill that was designed to reduce the impact of climate change on U.S. national parks. The NPCA poll was conducted online by The Harris Poll among 2,064 adults, ages 18 and older, at the end of January 2022.

“We know climate change is the most serious problem our national parks face, wreaking havoc on so many things we love,” said Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association. “As the worsening climate crisis continues to threaten our health and our communities, this poll shows national parks unite us and offer solutions for addressing it. With visitation to our parks at an all-time high, Americans are seeing the impacts firsthand with parks burning, flooding, melting, and eroding. We all agree. We cannot and must not wait.”

Ten questions were asked of Americans around topics such as the last time they visited a national park and the importance for moving forward with climate change solutions. Key findings include:

• Across all political spectrums, an overwhelming 88% of Americans say climate change is negatively impacting national parks.

• When breaking it down by political affiliation, a majority of Democrats (95%), Republicans (80%) and Independents (88%) say climate change is negatively impacting national parks.

• A strong bipartisan majority of Americans (84%) see U.S. national parks as an important part of the solution to reducing climate change by protecting lands and waters that remove carbon from the atmosphere. With 92% of Democrats, 75% of Republicans and 84% of Independents agreeing that protecting park lands and waters can help address climate change.

• Forty three percent of Americans are very likely to support efforts to reduce climate change. When thinking specifically about the impacts climate change is having on U.S. national parks, 55% say that it is very important that we move forward with climate change solutions.

• A majority of Americans (83%), regardless of political affiliation, would be more likely to support their representative in Congress that supported a bill that was designed to reduce the impact of climate change on U.S. national parks.

“It was interesting to see how much of a unifying force national parks can be on the topic of climate change. Americans, both Democrats and Republicans alike, clearly see the adverse effect climate change is having on the national parks and that connection compels them to support climate change solutions,” said Erica Parker, Managing Director of The Harris Poll.

To learn more about our poll and how NPCA is working to address climate change at national parks across the country, please visit www.npca.org/parksunite.

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Survey Method: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of National Parks Conservation Association from January 18 - 20, 2022 among 2,064 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please visit www.npca.org/parksunite.

About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.

About The Harris Poll: The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963 that is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible. To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com.