Utahns not happy about the state’s response to Outdoor Retailer

A new poll conducted by the Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute of Politics measured what 604 residents think about how Gov. Herbert handled the dispute.

Of course Utahns aren’t happy about losing Outdoor Retailer, which brings 40,000 visitors and $45 million to Salt Lake each year. This new poll, published by The Salt Lake Tribune just makes it official.

According to the poll, 34 percent of registered voters deem the state’s response to Outdoor Retailer complaints as “excellent” or “good,” 23 percent think it was “fair,” and 31 percent called it “poor.”

Outdoor Retailer decided last month that it will not consider Utah in the RFP process to find a new home starting in 2018. Amy Roberts, executive director of the Outdoor Industry Association, said the results make it clear that Utahns care about public lands and want their leaders to support the outdoor recreation economy. “The recreation economy currently contributes $12 billion in consumer spending, 122,000 jobs, $3.6 billion in wages and salaries and $856 million in state and local tax revenue to the state,” she says.

The poll found that Republicans were more supportive of their elected officials, with 45 perfect saying the response was excellent or good, 28 percent calling it fair, and 15 percent judging is as poor.

But 75 percent of Democrats gave the state a poor rating.

Also interesting to note: Young people (ages 18 to 24) were the most dissatisfied pool of respondents to the poll. More than half (54 percent) gave the governor the lowest possible rating on the issue.