The economy is no longer the top concern for Yukoners as the governing Yukon Party begins its second term in office.

According to a poll released this morning by DataPath Systems, the environment is now the number one priority of Yukoners.

Currently, 29 per cent of the individuals polled ranked the environment as the top issue in the territory. It's a significant rise from the summer of 2006 when just 10 per cent of Yukoners placed the issue at the top of their list.

The economy, which previously topped the list for the last six years, is now in the number two spot on the list of concerns.

'When people are concerned about income and jobs, the economy will be the top issues, but once they gain confidence it is on the right road and that road is stable, then we start to see other issues, such as the environment and social issues, move up in priority,' Donna Larsen, a partner at DataPath, told the Star today.

Land use and development is ranked as the third priority of the polled Yukoners, while unemployment is fourth. The health care system rounds out the list.

It shows people's confidence is up, said Larsen, and on a subconscious level people are shifting away from worrying about the economy and starting to think of other things.

Over the past six years, DataPath has been measuring Yukoners' opinions on the health of the territory's economy.

Beginning in 2001, 64 per cent of those polled ranked it as being in serious or critical condition. In 2004, it peaked at 75 per cent being very concerned. But throughout 2005 and 2006, the number began to drop.

Today it ranks at 22 per cent of those who took part in the survey saying it was a serious concern.

'It's definitely significant,' said Larsen. 'That's a big change.'

Premier Dennis Fentie said the results show the government is in sync with Yukoners.

'We knew Yukoners' focus had started to shift to other areas,' Fentie told the Star.

The Yukon Party has begun to place a much greater emphasis on the Department of Environment, he said.

The poll also showed the Yukon Party's popularity has grown since the October 2006 general election when it was returned to office for a second majority term. It is the first time a party has secured back-to-back mandates since 1989.

Just prior to the election, the Yukon Party held 34 per cent of the vote in a DataPath poll. It won the election on Oct. 10, taking 10 seats and 41 per cent of the vote.

The most recent DataPath poll shows if an election was held today, 45 per cent of decided voters would cast their ballot for the Yukon Party.

For the Liberals, support is at 33 per cent, down from the 37 per cent DataPath charted just prior to the election.

The Liberals actually took 35 per cent of the vote in the October election.

Support for the NDP has fallen to 17 per cent, according to poll results. The survey conducted prior to the writ being dropped showed the party at 25 per cent. It took 24 per cent in the actual vote.

When survey participants were asked to rate the performance of the parties thus far, the Yukon Party again led with top marks, with 31 per cent of those questioned giving it a rating of four or five on a scale of one through five.

The Liberals are at 22 per cent, up from 10 per cent in the fall. The NDP has fallen from a 17 per cent rating to 10 per cent today.

The shift for the New Democrats shows changing confidence in how the party is performing, said Larsen.

'The Yukon Party was up even higher then it was right before the election,' she added.

Decided voters were also divided between urban and rural dynamics.

The Yukon Party took 41 per cent of Whitehorse's decided voters and 53 per cent of the rural.

The Liberals had 39 per cent of the support coming from the capital city and 21 per cent from the communities.

For the NDP, 15 per cent of the city residents' votes went to the party and 21 per cent of the smaller communities.

The major driving force in the changing numbers was among Whitehorse residents who are government employees.

Prior to the territorial election, more than half of the Yukon's government employees were indicating they were planning on voting Liberal. The Yukon Party just secured 25 per cent of that segment's vote.

Now the two parties are sharing the vote with 37 per cent of those surveyed putting their support behind each of the parties.

Men continue to be the major supporters of the Yukon Party with 49 per cent of the males polled saying they'd vote for the governing party if the election were held today.

The government had the support of 39 per cent of the women questioned.

The NDP have the support of 14 per cent of the male respondents and 20 per cent of the women, while the Liberals took 33 per cent of the men and 34 per cent of the female participants.

Fentie said the results of the poll are encouraging for the government, but added Yukoners had already expressed their opinion in the election.

'Our job now is to deliver,' he said,' and our government will stay focused.'

The Liberals and the NDP declined to comment on the poll today.

The survey was conducted between April 1 and 14 with 185 non-Whitehorse residents and 165 Whitehorse residents.

The percentages are statistically valid to +/- 5.2 per cent or 19 times out of 20 with a 95 per cent confidence.