FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 4, 2020

New Ad Educates Montanans About BLM Nominee

MCV campaign warns Montanans against controversial public lands foe, William Perry Pendley

(BILLINGS, Mont.) – Montana Conservation Voters today released a powerful new ad educating and warning Montanans about William Perry Pendley, President Trump’s controversial anti-public lands nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management.

The 30-second TV ad, “For Sale,” is backed by a six-figure buy on both broadcast and cable statewide.

The ad is online HERE.

The ad specifically calls on Montanans to tell U.S. Senator Steve Daines, who continues to downplay the controversy over Pendley, that “our public lands are not for sale.”

“Senator Daines refuses to stand up to [Pendley],” the MCV ad states. “They want your public lands in the hands of out-of-state billionaires. Pendley even wants to take away our stream access.”

Daines, who serves on the Senate committee that will ultimately support or reject Pendley’s nomination, has called concerns about Pendley “overblown” and said he’s “not found a reason to be against” him. However, Pendley has a long record of opposing public lands, even writing a 2016 opinion titled, “The federal government should follow the constitution and sell its Western lands.”

That’s why MCV launched StopPendley.org, a website and awareness campaign to educate all Montanans about William Perry Pendley, Pendley’s concerning anti-public lands record, and Daines’s official responsibilities in confirming presidential nominees as a U.S. Senator. The Stop Pendley campaign will utilize paid media and member communications to highlight Pendley’s controversial record, and will ask Montanans to sign onto a petition asking Daines to oppose Pendley.

MCV is also crowdsourcing funding for the effort. All existing and MCV members will receive a Montana-shaped “I ♡ Public Lands” bumper sticker. Anyone interested in contributing to the campaign may do so online HERE.

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