National Park Wildlife Poll

The national poll examined Americans’ perspectives on current threats to national park wildlife, as well as solutions to better protect and preserve populations. Specifically, it surveyed opinions related to climate change, development, wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity, ocean plastics and overfishing, the Endangered Species Act, air pollution, and a sampling of species-specific issues.

88%

of Americans agree that more needs to be done to support the safeguarding of national park wildlife.

Methodology:

The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of NPCA, from June 20-22, 2023, among 2,037 adults ages 18 and older. Results were weighted to align demographics with their actual proportions in the population. The sampling precision of the Harris online polls is weighted using a Bayesian credible interval. This study is accurate to within +/- 2.7% using a 95% confidence level.

Key Findings:

86%

of Americans support the ongoing work federal agencies are doing to help with the recovery of threatened and endangered species in the park system.

• 85% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats believe more needs to be done to protect national park wildlife. A majority of Americans believe land development is harmful to national park wildlife (89%), and the federal government should ensure new development next to national parks doesn’t increase this threat (60%).

• Most (83%) Americans (including 74% of Republicans, 89% of Democrats and 85% of Independents) believe that climate change threatens national park wildlife.

• More than 4 in 5 Americans (86%, including 84% of Republicans and 87% of Democrats) support efforts by federal agencies to continue recovery of threatened and endangered species in our national parks.

87%

of Americans support restoring or preserving wildlife habitat connectivity and migration corridors.

• Partnerships are crucial to conservation success. 89% of Americans agree that more needs to be done to ensure federal, state, and Tribal governments work together to protect wildlife populations.

• 87% of Americans support restoring or preserving wildlife habitat connectivity and improving migration corridors on lands and waters within and beyond park borders.

• 7 out of 10 Americans (71%) support federal investments on privately-owned land next to national parks to maintain park wildlife populations, and more than 4 in 5 Americans (86%) support dedicating resources to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions nationally.

• Nearly all Americans (92%) support reducing water pollutions to better protect marine wildlife.

• Most Americans (82%) believe reducing or eliminating the sale of single-use plastics, including water bottles or straws, in national parks helps protect marine wildlife.

• Nearly 9 in 10 all Americans (88%) feel more needs to be done to protect birds and pollinators from harmful air pollution, with more than 4 in 5 (84%) supporting strengthening clean air standards to protect nature and wildlife from air pollution.