Wild Montana Action Fund has released its 2026 Montana Public Lands Voter Guide.
Noah Marion, political and state policy director for the fund, said the guide includes candidates' actions on the issue, not just what they have said on the campaign trail.
"The reason why we have the voter guide is to cut through some of that campaign rhetoric and really take a look at folks' public statements, who's giving them money, their voting records if they've held office before," Marion outlined.
The guide includes candidates for Montana's U.S. Senate and House races, the Montana Supreme Court, more than 20 competitive races for the state legislature and several ballot initiatives.
Marion stressed the stakes for public lands are enormous, with the federal government moving to eliminate protections like the Roadless Rule. It's also cut staff deeply at the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies.
Montana's GOP platform, passed this summer, supports transferring national public lands to state control, which experts said could lead to their sale to private owners. Marion cited a University of Montana poll showing 84% of residents want to ban the sale or transfer of public lands. He added the spaces are vital to Montana's economy and way of life.
"They're the places where we go out and make memories with our families. And if we don't have that, we've lost something significant and so we need to vote like our lands depend on it, because this year more than ever before, they really do," Marion emphasized.
The Roadless Rule bans road construction, logging and mining on certain forest lands. Supporters of the rule's repeal said it lowers regulatory burdens and gives more flexibility to manage national forests.