FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 19, 2025

Montana Conservation Voters demand Montana lawmakers reject public land privatization and Utah’s lawsuit

(HELENA, Mont.) – At the Rally for Public Lands in the State Capitol, the Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund delivered a petition to Governor Greg Gianforte, the Montana State Legislature, and Montana’s Congressional delegation. The petition, signed by a thousand concerned Montanans, urges them to reject any efforts to privatize public lands and to oppose Utah’s lawsuit against the federal government.

“Montanans have made it clear time and again: our public lands should stay in public hands, for the benefit of all,” said Whitney Tawney, Executive Director of the MCV Education Fund. “This petition is a testament to our ongoing commitment to protect what belongs to all of us.”

The petition responds to a joint resolution introduced by state Representative Tom Millett (R-Marion), which supports Utah’s lawsuit, State of Utah v. United States, seeking control over more than 18.5 million acres of public lands. While the Supreme Court recently dismissed the case, the lawsuit could be refiled and its potential impact on Montana remains significant: if successful, over 8 million acres of Montana’s public lands could be at risk.

Montana’s public lands are essential to both the state’s economy and culture. Recent polling shows that 95% of Montanans visited federal public lands in 2023, with 83% recognizing their importance to Montana’s economy. Outdoor recreation alone contributed $3.4 billion to Montana’s GDP last year.

To read the MCV Education Fund’s full letter to the Montana Legislature, Gov. Gianforte, and the entire congressional delegation click HERE.