Billings, Montana – Montana Conservation Voters (MCV) and the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, which work to elect candidates who will support sound environmental policies, announced today their endorsement of Senator Jon Tester for re-election to the U.S. Senate from Montana.

“Senator Tester is one of the strongest voices in the U.S. Senate for keeping public lands in public hands, protecting our clean air and water, helping grow the outdoor recreation economy, and preserving lands for future generations to explore,” said LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld. “As the only working farmer in the Senate, he knows firsthand the effects of climate change and the threat it poses to Montanans’ way of life. We are excited to endorse Senator Tester for re-election.”

“Senator Tester’s work as an advocate for Montana’s clean air, clean water, and wild lands has been critical to protecting our outdoor way of life,” said Clayton Elliott, Executive Director of MCV. “His focus on building coalitions to reach collaborative solutions for protecting wildlife habitats, expanding clean energy opportunities, and safeguarding our clean water has been so important. We need Senator Tester’s leadership in the Senate and that is why MCV is proud to endorse him for re-election.”

“I am proud to have MCV’s endorsement. I will continue to relentlessly defend our public lands from outside attacks on our Montana way of life so that our kids and grandkids have the same access to Montana’s beauty, clean water, and public lands that we enjoy today,” said Senator Jon Tester.

Since his election in 2006, Tester has demonstrated leadership on clean energy and conservation issues. A member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, and a former Vice Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, Tester has consistently stood up for Montanans’ right to a clean and healthful environment. He has pushed commonsense measures to advance renewable energy in rural communities and spoken passionately about the need to address climate change.

Among his legislative accomplishments and priorities are:

• Passage of the North Fork Preservation Act protecting 383,000 acres of land west of Glacier National Park.
• Passage of the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act adding 67,000 acres to the Bob Marshall Complex.
• Senate passage of the East Rosebud Wild & Scenic Rivers Act protecting 20 miles of the East Rosebud by designation as a wild and scenic river.
• A collaborative effort on the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act to protect 79,000 acres in the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds.
• Introduction of the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act to ensure critical wildlife habitat and lands are safe from harmful mining pollution in the Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park.
• Passage of the Crow and Blackfeet Water Compacts fulfilling treaty rights and giving certainty to water users. He has also introduced the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Water Compact.
• Using his leadership to advocate for full funding and permanent re-authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Tester has earned a strong 86 percent lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard.

Tester is featured on LCV Action Fund’s GiveGreen website, the only website devoted exclusively to raising money for environmental champions for federal office. Last cycle, LCV Action Fund raised more contributions to candidates through GiveGreen than ever before – over $8.3 million for state and federal candidates.

About LCV Action Fund

The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund (LCVAF), the connected federal political action committee (PAC) of the League of Conservation Voters, works to elect candidates who will implement sound environmental laws and policies, and defeat those who stand in the way of progress. Since the 1994 election cycle, LCVAF has helped elect and re-elect 74 U.S. senators and 331 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. In the 2015-2016 election cycle, LCVAF endorsed over 100 candidates and, since 2009, has raised and contributed more than $17.6 million dollars via GiveGreen. Over the last several years, our efforts have also helped elevate climate change and clean energy as critical issues in key elections.

About MCV

Montana Conservation Voters is a statewide membership organization serving as the political voice of Montana’s conservation and environmental community. Today, MCV shines a spotlight on the votes and actions of elected officials – from the Courthouse to Congress – affecting clean air and water, open spaces, wildlife, and public health. Through its affiliated political action committee, MCV supports candidates who stand up for conservation values.

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and Montana Conservation Voters Congressional Action Fund and authorized by Montanans for Tester.