FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 18, 2021

Public lands get ‘short end of the stick’ from marijuana revenue plan

Controversial funding legislation disregards plan approved by majority of Montana voters

(BOZEMAN, Mont.) – Montana Conservation Voters is criticizing new legislation in the Montana Legislature because it fails to fund Habitat Montana with tax revenue from recreational marijuana, as directed by Initiative 190, which voters overwhelmingly approved on Election Day.

The new legislation would send most of the tax revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana to the state’s General Fund. However, the voter-approved initiative that legalized recreational marijuana directs about 37 percent of tax revenue to Habitat Montana. Habitat Montana is the popular state program used to acquire more state-owned public land and improved access to those lands.

“Our public lands get the short end of the stick under this shortsighted plan, and our elected leaders need to remember what voters asked for when they overwhelmingly approved this funding,” said Whitney Tawney, the Executive Director of Montana Conservation Voters. “All elected lawmakers need to respect the will of Montanans by shoring up funding for Habitat Montana and our public lands, and they’ll be hearing from a whole bunch of us until they do.”

Conservation funding under the bill is limited to a relatively small and limited amount of funding for nongame wildlife, trails and state parks.

MCV’s sister organization, the Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund, will participate in a Thursday (March 18) media event with hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts on the steps of the Montana State Capitol at 12:15 p.m. The MCVEF and other conservation advocates will urge lawmakers to reconsider public lands funding, with photos, personal testimonials, and videos from across the state.

Montana Conservation Voters and other major conservation organizations supported Initiative 190 in 2020 because of its significant impact on public lands funding.

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