Arizona Voters Prioritize Groundwater Protection and Forest Management in New Arizona Voters’ Agenda

Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) today shares an update from its latest 2024 Arizona Voters' Agenda survey, offering analysis and new insights into voters' views on water and environmental issues in the lead-up to the November general election. In line with CFA’s longstanding research on Shared Public Values, the data highlight strong support across political and generational lines for policies that safeguard Arizona’s natural resources and address the growing threats of wildfires and the long-term management of water resources.

Arizona voters overwhelmingly agree on the importance of actively managing forest land and groundwater protection, underscoring a shared urgency for policies that can mitigate environmental risks while securing Arizona’s future. These findings are consistent with the state’s broader public values around sustainable practices—which CFA has tracked for nearly two decades in its research on The Arizona We Want.

“Arizona voters agree on key environmental challenges, and this consensus gives candidates a clear mandate to act,” said Dr. Sybil Francis, Chair, President & CEO of CFA. “When it comes to protecting our water and managing our forests, voters are telling us loud and clear: these are urgent priorities for Arizona’s future, and they expect leaders to take real action.”

Key Policy Areas Where Voters Agree
The 2024 Arizona Voters' Agenda survey, conducted in collaboration with HighGround, Inc., an award-winning public opinion polling firm based in Arizona, reveals overwhelming support for two policies that have surpassed CFA’s rigorous threshold for agreement to be deemed Voters’ Agenda items and central to the electorate’s priorities in this election cycle:

The survey found that 93% of voters support stronger groundwater protection measures and securing our long-term water supplies, with 77% strongly supporting such policies. Younger voters are remarkably unanimous, with 95% of voters aged 20-29 backing this position. The findings highlight an opportunity for candidates to champion comprehensive water management strategies that reflect these shared priorities.

Voters across the board support active forest management, with 92% of voters agreeing and 72% expressing strong support. This majority support includes 90% of Republicans, 93% of independent/unaffiliated voters, and 95% of Democrats, underscoring that forest management is not a partisan issue but a shared priority.

“Arizonans appear to recognize the interconnectedness of these policy issues —that managing forests is not only about reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires but also about protecting our water supplies, which are becoming more vulnerable to fire-related damage,” noted Dr. Francis. “Healthy forests help absorb water, reduce runoff, and prevent sediment from filling reservoirs—factors essential to maintaining Arizona’s water resources."

Voter Insights: Gaps in Planning and Preparedness
Among the context contributing to voters’ shared priorities, the electorate expresses concerns about Arizona’s overall environmental preparedness:

• Rising Temperatures and Drought: 70% of voters agree with the statement, “We are increasingly seeing rising temperatures, air pollution, and drought as significant problems impacting our state. Local, state, and federal officials need to act to address environmental issues or risk harm to future generations.”
• Water Policy: Only 33% of voters believe that “Arizona’s current water policies are sufficient to ensure long-term water sustainability.”  
• Environmental Disasters: Voters lack confidence in Arizona’s ability to handle significant emergencies, with 70% of voters supporting the statement, “Arizona is not ready for a major emergency, weather crisis, or the next pandemic to hit our state. We must do more to increase our planning and preparedness to ensure we are ready when the next disaster happens.”

“The Arizona Voters’ Agenda demonstrates that Arizonans are aligned on the need for urgent action to protect long-term water supplies and actively manage our forests,” said Dr. Sybil Francis. “Voters are asking for leaders who will step up, propose bold ideas, and address these critical issues head-on. The time is now to take this common ground and turn it into meaningful progress for Arizona’s future.”

Critical Questions for Candidates
The Arizona Voters’ Agenda survey also showed that nearly two-thirds of voters (65%) continue to prefer to vote for a candidate based on their “position on the issues” or “clear plans or solutions.”

As voters prepare to head to the polls, the 2024 Arizona Voters' Agenda presents key questions for candidates and leaders to address on environmental issues: “What specific policies would you implement to better protect our groundwater and secure long-term water supplies for future generations?” and “How would you enhance Arizona’s disaster preparedness in light of increasingly extreme weather conditions?”

Find more questions for candidates and resources at arizonafuture.org/ava.

Political and age group breakdowns are available at ArizonaFuture.org/ArizonaVotersAgenda.

Looking Ahead: Announcements from the Arizona Voters’ Agenda
The Arizona Voters’ Agenda provides valuable insights across multiple issue areas. Full results and resources for voters, candidates, and community leaders are available now on CFA’s website. In addition to water and environmental issues, CFA will share its assessments on education, taxes & state spending, and additional insights over the next two weeks. The announcements include:

• Sept. 16: Election Issues
• Sept. 18: Water & Environment
• Sept. 20: Education
• Sept. 25: Taxes & State Spending

About the Arizona Voters’ Agenda
CFA develops the Arizona Voters’ Agenda to ensure that voters’ voices are at the forefront of election dialogue, encouraging candidates and the media to focus on the issues where Arizonans agree. By providing trusted data on shared public priorities, CFA aims to foster constructive conversations about Arizona’s future and drive meaningful progress on the issues that matter most to the state’s residents.

To be included in the Voters’ Agenda, a majority of likely voters must show “strong” support for an issue, and majorities of every political and age segment must show “strong” or “somewhat strong” support. This ensures the Voters’ Agenda reflects true majority agreement across political and generational lines, with a threshold of 50% or above.

*Many environmental issues– such as investing in and expanding clean and renewable energy– achieve supermajorities of support but do not meet all criteria for inclusion in the Arizona Voters’ Agenda.

About the Surveys
The Arizona Voters’ Agenda is based on two public opinion surveys each election cycle. The second and most recent survey was conducted from August 5-13, 2024, among likely voters ahead of the general election. The first survey was conducted in March 2024, before the primary election. Each survey sampled 500 likely Arizona 2024 General Election voters with a history of electoral participation, balanced to model the likely turnout of voters across party, age, region, and gender. HighGround, Inc. conducted live interview surveys of voters in English and Spanish to landline and cell phone users. Based on previous election trends, the partisan advantage was set at +4% GOP. The margin of error is ±4.3%.

About Center for the Future of Arizona
Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan "do-tank" that brings Arizonans together to create a stronger and brighter future for our state. Through its survey research & communications, Arizona Progress Meters, and impact initiatives & programs in education, workforce, and civic health, CFA listens to Arizonans to learn what matters most to them, shares trusted data about how Arizona is doing in those priority areas, brings critical issues to public attention, and works with communities and leaders to solve public problems. The Arizona Voters’ Agenda is part of CFA's ongoing commitment to highlighting Arizona’s shared public values and bringing Arizonans together around a positive agenda based on where we agree on priorities to move the state forward and realize The Arizona We Want.

The 2024 Arizona Voters’ Agenda initiative is supported in part by the Arizona Community Foundation, Helios Education Foundation, Pivotal Foundation, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, and Thomas R. Brown Family Private Foundation.

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