FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2020

MCV hopes LWCF funding is ‘beginning of a real trend, not a one-off election year lift’

Organization notes Daines ‘has a long way to go’ for conservation

(BOZEMAN, Mont.) – Montana Conservation Voters released the following statement from Deputy Director Whitney Tawney in response to the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), which fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million per year in perpetuity:

“Without a doubt, this is a huge step forward to fund Montana’s outdoor heritage for the future generations,” Tawney said. “Although we’re pleased Senator Daines finally listened to Montanans on LWCF funding, we hope this is the beginning of a real trend, not a one-off election year lift. Senator Daines has a long way to go to be considered a champion of conservation, and we look forward to celebrating that day.”

Despite his support of LWCF, Daines on March 30 joined 11 Senate colleagues in asking Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to “suspend the federal royalty payments for oil, gas, and coal.” These royalty payments, not taxpayer dollars, fund LWCF. Notably, Senator Cory Gardner, R-Colo., another cosponsor of the Great American Outdoors Act, did not sign that letter.

Daines recently led controversial legislation to open up tens of thousands of acres of protected public land in Montana to oil and gas development, without consulting with Montanans in public meetings.

Daines also continues to support controversial Acting BLM Director William Perry Pendley, who has a long record of opposing public access to public lands. MCV this month asked Daines to demand an up or down confirmation vote on Pendley, who continues to serve in an “acting” role without Senate confirmation. MCV has not received a response from Daines.

For over a year, MCV has deployed a variety of tactics to urge Daines to support full LWCF funding, through a series of tactics including a statewide TV ad, a website, a private label batch of Montana-sourced spirits, yard signs, newspaper ads, online newspaper homepage takeovers and petitions signed by hundreds of Montanans.

First established by Congress in 1965, LWCF has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to protect public lands and increase access to outdoor recreation. LWCF has invested nearly $600 million in the Big Sky State. The fund supports Montana’s outdoor recreation economy, which sustains 71,000 Montana jobs and generates more than $7 billion in economic activity in Montana each year.

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