Montana

Whether you’re fly fishing the Flathead River in Glacier National Park or hiking the ridge of Bridger Bowl on a powder day, the views you glimpse are a sure indication that Montana is a state packed with adventure.

Montana is home to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. Though he claims he’s seen global warming happening, witnessing glaciers recede while eating lunch in the Park, he doesn’t seem to have carried the need for climate action with him to DC. We can’t afford to have another lawmaker leave Montana for Capitol Hill without climate change in mind.

Right now, the state has implemented a law called the ‘Hoot Owl’ rule, which says it’s illegal– that’s right, illegal– to fish Montana’s rivers after 2 pm. Why? In the summer, the waters are simply too warm, which is bad for fish habitat as warm waters increase the likelihood that a fish will die when you toss it back. Climate change is literally dictating when you can and can’t fish in the Big Sky State.

It’s clear that climate change has had a real impact on the state of Montana. We want to assure whoever heads to DC to represent the state in the Senate will take this duty seriously.

Matt Rosendale (R)

Matt Rosendale is the current State Auditor of Montana. A rancher and a former member of the Montana State Senate, Rosendale is running to be the next Senator of the Big Sky State.

• When it comes to climate, Rosendale said in a May questionnaire, “the climate does change, the question is how much impact do humans have on it and how much impact can we have on it by dramatically imposing draconian restrictions on businesses” noting he hadn’t seen any evidence to suggest we should impose restrictions and burden consumers for the “potential of possibly having a minuscule impact on the climate.”
• Rosendale believes in protecting Montana’s outdoor heritage by “fighting radical environmental groups who oppose proper management and resource development, threatening our way of life,” and “developing our abundant natural ” He says “communities that depend on the natural resource industries are being decimated by environmentalist lawsuits and big government regulations that kill jobs.”
• Learn more.

Jon Tester (D)

Jon Tester is the current Senator representing Montana on Capitol Hill and is running to keep his seat. A farmer and former school teacher, Tester was first elected to the Senate in 2007 after serving in the Montana State Senate.

• In a recent op-ed, Tester wrote, “We are seeing the serious consequences of a changing climate all across Montana. Farmers are working through hotter and dryer summers, firefighters are battling wildfires that are burning longer and more intensely, and anglers are impacted by streams that are getting warmer and snowpacks that are getting smaller. These are the real effects of climate change, and we need to start taking serious steps to reverse these dangerous trends.”
• Tester supports a diverse “energy economy that supports high-paying jobs and addresses the threat of climate change.”
• In addition, Tester understands that Montana’s “public lands help drive our economy,” and vows to protect them to keep the outdoor recreation economy thriving.
• Learn more.