For Immediate Release:
January 23, 2026
New Survey Shows Vast Majority of Idaho Voters Oppose Anti-Public Lands
Nominee Steve Pearce to Lead Bureau of Land Management
Conservation Voters for Idaho Calls on Senators Crapo and Risch to Side With Idahoans and Take Another Stand to Protect Public Lands
Boise, ID — In the lead-up to public lands foe Steve Pearce’s confirmation hearing to head the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a new survey from bipartisan polling firm RABA Research finds that 76% of Idaho voters oppose Pearce’s nomination. The survey also found that:
● 72% of Idaho voters disagree with Steve Pearce’s views on public lands, which he has supported selling off to private interests.
● 87% are concerned about impacts to grazing, hunting, and fishing access.
● 77% think Steve Pearce’s personal ties to the oil and gas industry would create an inappropriate conflict of interest.
● 69% of Idaho voters would have a more favorable opinion of Idaho’s U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch if they vote against Steve Pearce’s nomination, including 72% of Idaho Republicans.
As a member of Congress representing New Mexico, Pearce sponsored legislation to allow federal public lands to be sold off to private interests. Pearce also disparaged national parks and vowed to “reverse this trend of public ownership of lands.” The BLM oversees 245 million acres of America’s public lands, including 12 million acres in Idaho. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch were crucial to defeating a misguided attempt to sell off our public lands last summer, and now they must take a stand once again by voting against Pearce’s nomination. Pearce must also face tough questions in his confirmation hearing, which Senator Risch will have an opportunity to participate in the coming weeks. “Steve Pearce has a disastrous public lands record and has no business running the Bureau of Land Management – and clearly Idaho voters agree,” said Alexis Pickering, executive director at Conservation Voters for Idaho. “Public lands are central to our western communities, and Idahoans are deeply concerned by the threat that Pearce poses to maintaining our access. Last year, Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch listened to Idahoans who overwhelmingly opposed an attempt to sell off more than 3 million acres of public land in the West — now they must take a stand again and side with the 76% of Idahoans who want to ensure our public lands remain protected for generations to come by voting against Pearce’s nomination.”
In a memo summarizing the poll results, RABA Research concludes: “Public lands are a consensus issue in Idaho, cutting across party lines. Pearce’s record places him well outside the mainstream, creating broad, bipartisan resistance to his confirmation… In Idaho, opposing Steve Pearce aligns Senators with a broad bipartisan majority and the clear will of voters.” The survey was conducted by RABA Research from January 16-17, 2026 among 503 registered voters in Idaho.
The full poll results are available for download here. A memo from RABA Research summarizing the findings is available here.
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About Conservation Voters for Idaho
CVI’s mission is to create the political environment to protect the natural environment by safeguarding our democracy, clean air and water, and natural places.
About RABA Research
RABA stands for “Red America, Blue America.” RABA Research was founded in early 2016 by a bipartisan group of political professionals who have worked for candidates, issues, organizations, and corporations across the globe. RABA believes that polling methods and data are most impactful when presented accurately and fairly through an unbiased l
