EDMONTON – A new public opinion survey shows the vast majority of Albertans support greater conservation in the Bighorn region of the Rocky Mountains west of Nordegg.

The Government of Alberta is currently consulting on a proposal for a new network of parks and public land in west-central Alberta called Bighorn Country. Bighorn Country includes a wildland provincial park, three provincial parks, four public recreation areas and two Public Land Use Zones.

A statistically valid public opinion survey conducted recently shows that after learning the details of the plan a strong majority, 73%, of Albertans support the Government of Alberta’s proposal to protect Bighorn Country while only 16% oppose the proposal (11% neither oppose nor support).

The poll was conducted by Edmonton market and social research firm Advanis between December 10 and 19, 2018 and included a sample size of 1077 randomly selected respondents which is considered to adequately represent the population with a margin of error of ±3.0%, 19 times out of 20.

When respondents were asked to rank reasons to protect the area, protecting fish and wildlife ranked first, followed by protecting headwaters, creating recreation opportunities for Albertan families, and finally, diversifying the local economy.

Support for the Bighorn Country proposal spans geographic regions and voter intentions. Support from across Alberta ranged from 65% in the North, to 75% in Edmonton. 70% of respondents from Central Alberta, where Bighorn Country is located support the proposal.

Support for the proposal also crosses party lines. The majority of decided voters support the proposal, regardless of their preferred party including both the New Democrats and United Conservatives, along with 81% of undecided voters.

These results indicate that, while a small number of people are vocally opposing the proposal, overall support from Albertans is high.

While the poll shows strong support, it is important that Albertans participate in the official public consultation on the proposal which continues until February 15.

See a PDF of the poll results here.