Carsey School of Public Policy at The University of New Hampshire
Abstract
Policymakers face difficult decisions as they attempt to balance competing calls for increased developmentand environmental protection. In the Puget Sound region of Washington State, population growth and the needfor housing and energy have brought these types of tradeoffs to the forefront. Using data from a phone survey of 1,980 residents, researchers from the Carsey Institute and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries investigated public perceptions of environmental concerns across Puget Sound. This fact sheet outlines residents' views about the importance of environmental protection as well as their opinions about energy development, protection of wild salmon, and land use regulation
