MCVEF Poll

“We live here because of Montana’s natural environment, whether we ranch, hike, hunt, fish or camp and back- pack,” said Smith. Smith continued, “In a recent MCV Education Fund poll, 66% volunteered that what they liked best about Montana was its natural environment, wide open spaces and clean air. Ninety five percent said they believed their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment was an extremely or very important value.

“Yet when it comes time to vote, many people are unaware of candidates and the issues affecting our clean air and water and public health, which is critical to a healthy economy, ” Smith said. Our TV spot encourages voters to be informed by visiting our web site at www.respectmontana.org,” she said.

Theresa Keaveny, MCV Education Fund Executive Director said “Legislation and public policy in the last several years threaten Montana’s clean air and water, and sometimes allow irresponsible corporations to damage water, air and public health – sometimes leaving taxpayers with the clean up bill. We are encouraging voters to be informed of these issues and discuss them with candidates,” she said.

The web site features:
· a map of Montana with regional issues, including briefing papers and the groups and agencies involved;
· a list of candidates for federal, statewide, regional and state legislative office, including contact information, biography and links to candidate information;
· links to groups and agencies dealing with voting and citizen participation;
· vote by mail and voter registration information.

Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund 2002 Poll

New survey results released by the organization today show that 83 percent of Montanans believe that the constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment is extremely or very important to them. Furthermore, 66 percent of Montanans queried in an open-ended question identified wide-open spaces, natural surroundings and clean air as the best things about living in Montana.

"Thirty years ago the framers of the Montana Constitution knew how important protecting land, air and water was for Montana’s future," said Tresa Smith, a Boulder-area rancher and MCV Education Fund board member. "Our research confirms that a ‘clean and healthful environment’ continues to be a value that we share. Because of that, the MCV Education Fund is working to protect our land, air and water to build a strong state with a bright future for our communities and our families. We are inviting other Montanans to join us in pursuit of that goal."

The MCV Education Fund survey, conducted by San Francisco-based Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates (FMM&A), shows that over three-quarters (78 percent) of Montanans agree that the state can have a clean environment and a strong economy at the same time, without sacrificing one for the other.

Montanans also have a uniquely strong connection to their natural environment. The survey shows that the state’s citizens are very concerned about the protection of clean air, clean water and they rate the importance of conservation issues on par with education and health care, second only to concerns about the economy. In addition, a majority of people say the best thing they like about living in Montana is the natural environment.

Across party lines and regions, the survey confirms that Montanans show strong concern for protecting land, air and water. Even in a time of economic uncertainty, the state’s residents believe that protection of land, air and water should be a priority for state policymakers.

As part of the campaign to increase citizen involvement in conservation issues, the MCV Education Fund is distributing briefing papers across the state on a wide variety topics, including hardrock mining, coalbed methane development, energy deregulation, air quality, planning and growth and state forest management.

The MCV Education Fund is also expanding its efforts to register voters and encouraging them to vote by absentee ballot if they cannot make it to the polls. In addition, the group is intensifying its efforts to keep citizens informed about the actions of the State Land Board, state regulating agencies and other boards and commissions that have a say in public health issues and protection of our land, air and water.

"We are going to spend the next several months encouraging citizens to find out more about the issues that affect our communities and our health," said MCV Education Fund Executive Director Theresa Keaveny. "We want people to know which corporations and elected officials have allowed projects like the Libby vermiculite mine, which contaminated workers and other area residents with cancer-causing asbestos, and Zortman-Landusky gold mine, which have been nearly abandoned by irresponsible mining companies, to become disasters that rob us of our tax dollars, our health and clean air and water." Highlights of the survey include:

Eighty one percent of citizens strongly agree that enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, biking, fishing and skiing are an important Montana value. Sixty-nine percent strongly agree that it’s important to have a strong economy so our kids stay in Montana, and 66 percent feel strongly about preserving Montana’s farm and ranch land.

Fifty-five percent of Montanans believe that we need a more balanced approach to energy that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil by focusing on conservation, increased fuel efficiency and increased use of cleaner sources of power, such as wind and solar. This is in contrast to 28 percent who feel we need to increase our energy supply by drilling for more oil and natural gas in the U.S., including the Rocky Mountain Front, and increasing the use of coal and nuclear power.
: Montanans show their concern for conservation issues at the ballot box. Fifty percent say that issues involving clean air, water and open space are ""very important"" when deciding how to vote. Another 40 percent believe they are "somewhat important" in making a voting decision.; Half of Montanans believe the state’s environmental laws are either not strong enough or should be more strictly enforced, compared to one-fifth who believe environmental laws are too strict and need to be relaxed.
: Sixty-six percent of Montanans find convincing (30 percent very, 36 percent somewhat) an argument to support an elected official who states (more) that they will stand up for good environmental laws and oppose the policies of Governor Judy Martz that threaten the laws that protect our clean air, land and water.; Seventy-two percent of Montanans say it’s extremely or very important to protect the quality of our air and drinking water, and another 17 percent say it’s somewhat important. Only 11 percent say that protection of air and drinking water quality is not of serious importance.; If faced with a choice between the environment and the economy, a plurality of Montanans would choose the environment over the economy (49 percent compared to 39 percent).; More than half (52 percent) of Montanans say that they would support a candidate who wants to protect the environment and supports strong laws and enforcement of those laws and has received high scores and campaign contributions from environmental groups. But only 35 percent choose a candidate who wants to protect the environment but says that voluntary action by business and less government bureaucracy are the way to do it. This candidate has also received low scores from environmental groups and campaign contributions from developers and corporations that are known polluters.

METHODOLOGY: This information is based on the findings of a telephone survey conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates from March 3-5, 2002. Six hundred likely Montana voters were selected at random and interviewed by trained, professional telephone interviewers. The margin of error for the overall survey results is +/- 4.0 points. The poll was paid for by Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund and the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.