Despite Overwhelming Bipartisan Support On the Largest Public Lands Bill in A Decade, Maryland Matt Rosendale Silent
As the House of Representatives prepares to vote on the Great American Outdoors Act, Maryland Matt Rosendale is staying silent on whether he supports the largest public lands bill expected to be passed by Congress in over a decade.
Rosendale’s silence and lack of vocal support for the Great American Outdoors Act does not surprise Montana’s ranchers and hunters though. They know his true record of crusading as a real estate developer from Maryland who turned his back on Montana, supporting any way to put public lands in the hands of out-of-state billionaires and the highest bidder.
And while, in election years Rosendale has run from his record and tried to rewrite his agenda on public lands, here are six reality checks on Maryland Matt’s reckless record of putting Montana’s public lands in the hands of the highest corporate bidder:
- In 2014, Maryland Matt admitted to being “an advocate for the transfer of public lands,” and leaving open for Montana’s public lands be sold to the highest bidder.
- When Maryland Matt served in the state legislature, he introduced legislation encouraging federal public lands transfer to the state.
- This bill is only one example of Maryland Matt’s many anti-public lands policies—he torpedoed the Keogh Ranch Conservation Easement that would’ve protected around 8,000 acres of hunting land from potential subdivision.
- Maryland Matt voted to create a task force criticized for being a “backdoor” to talks of public lands transfer.
- Maryland Matt repeatedly voted on the Land Board against Montana sportsmen and women, blocking permanent public hunting access to 20,000 acres of land in Eastern Montana.
- Lastly, Maryland Matt endorsed transferring federal public lands to the state as a top priority; he supports a bill that the vast majority of Montanans oppose because it would eliminate protections for more than half a million acres of public lands in Montana.
Statement from DCCC Spokesperson Andy Orellana:
“Montanans won’t be fooled by Maryland Matt because they already know his reckless record that has repeatedly put Montana’s public lands on the auction block. While Rosendale remains silent, his decade of action to take public lands out of public hands says it all to the voters of Montana.”
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