New TV ad questions Daines’ public lands leadership

MCV calls out senator’s full-funding lip service

(BOZEMAN, Mont.) – Montana Conservation Voters is taking its fight for full funding of public lands to TV, with a new ad questioning Senator Steve Daines.

The 30-second TV spot, online HERE, features Montana hunters at an access site near Bozeman funded by the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund.

“Public lands are a way of life here,” the hunter says in the ad. “So when Montana Senator Steve Daines promised to support Montana’s public lands, but then shortchanged them by hundreds of millions, Montanans noticed.”

The ad refers to the fact that in May, Daines asked the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund LWCF with only $600 million—$300 million less than the $900 million LWCF is supposed to get every year. A month earlier, Daines told Montanans that fully funding LWCF is one of his “highest priorities” and that he “will not stop fighting until we get full funding of LWCF.” During the Senate’s funding process this fall, LWCF got a proposed $465 million, which is only about half of full funding.

“He sold us out,” the hunter continues. “Senator Daines, put our money where your mouth is and fully fund our public lands.”

“Montanans need more than lip-service and we haven’t been able to rely on Senator Daines for any real action,” said Whitney Tawney, Deputy Director of Montana Conservation Voters. “Montana Conservation Voters is launching this ad because Senator Daines is one of the best-positioned politicians in all of Congress to show courage and secure the full funding for LWCF he says he supports.”

First established by Congress in 1965, LWCF has been funded by offshore oil and gas royalties, not taxpayer dollars, providing 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 every year.

MCV’s new TV ad, “Lip Service,” will run on cable television channels across Montana.

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Montana Conservation Voters is a statewide non-partisan membership organization that is dedicated to fighting for Montana’s air, water, open spaces, wildlife and public health. MCV provides voter participation services to over 72,000 Montanans. Visit mtvoters.org for more details.