An Emmy-nominated Montana wildlife filmmaker is breaking his no-politics policy to help protect public lands.
Casey Anderson has spent his career filming grizzly bears and other animals in the wild. He has hosted shows for Nat Geo Wild and the Discovery Channel, and is now part of an ad campaign called “Vote Like Your Lands Depend On It.”
Anderson said he has kept politics out of his work for three decades but now feels it is time to speak up.
“Lately, it seems like public lands are under attack more than they’ve ever been in my entire life," Anderson observed. "I have this platform and at some level, responsibility.”
Anderson is urging voters to research candidates and elected leaders and ask how they are supporting public lands ahead of November’s election.
In a University of Montana survey this spring, 84% of Montana voters said the sale or transfer of national public lands should be banned and 90% said conservation is an important factor in supporting an elected official.
The Wild Montana Action Fund launched the ad campaign earlier this month. In the first video, Anderson explained he grew up exploring Montana’s wilderness and wants to save it for future generations.
He argued it is not acceptable for politicians to campaign on saving public lands, then get into office and try to dismantle them. He added he has been surprised by how people with opposing political viewpoints in Montana have come together on the issue.
“I’ve seen this being one of the greatest unifiers in Montana, and I love it,” Anderson emphasized. “I think that it’s inspirational for so many different things. This is something that everybody is so passionate about, that they’re willing to push some of their other disagreements aside and unify under the banner of public lands, and I think it’s awesome.”
Anderson noted the series of ads will be released throughout the election season. He wants Montanans to use their voices and their vote, adding public lands depend on it.
“If we give ground, literally give ground, one acre, one inch, it’s going to be taken advantage of and we lose that forever, and I think that’s just the bottom line,” Anderson underscored.