Montana-based conservation watchdog group Western Values Project (WVP) Action announced a multi-platform ad campaign in Colorado targeting Senator Cory Gardner, calling on him to oppose David Bernhardt’s nomination to serve as Secretary of Interior. Bernhardt’s confirmation hearing in front of Gardner’s Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is scheduled for Thursday.

Ahead of the hearing, WVP Action launched “Pockets” in Colorado, which will run on television and digitally starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 27th and will run into next week.

Watch Colorado’s Gardner Ad “Pockets”

“Senator Gardner’s constituents need a Department of Interior that will fight for our public lands and preserve our Western way of life,” said Jayson O’Neill, Deputy Director of the Western Values Project Action. “David Bernhardt has spent much of his career working as a mega-lobbyist before working on behalf of special interests in senior government posts. Time and again, Bernhardt has sold out the West by helping his former clients and other special interests that have had negative impacts on Western states. We need Senator Gardner to stand up for his constituents and oppose Bernhardt’s nomination.”

The advertisements note how past lobbying ties and policies pushed by Bernhardt have had direct impacts on Colorado, including:

• Senator Gardner is the top recipient of campaign cash from Bernhardt’s former oil and gas lobby firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck. Gardner has received some $47,800 in donations from the firm since 2009 (CQ Political Moneyline).
• Under the direction of Bernhardt, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized revisions to the greater sage-grouse management plans in the West, including a Colorado plan that would open about 350 square miles to oil and gas leasing that’s now off limits.
• BLM is exploring new developments in at least five counties across Colorado (La Plata, Gunnison (Montrose Daily Press, 10/10/17), San Miguel, Delta (Montrose Daily Press, 12/16/17), and Fremont)—in some cases against the wishes of residents: Residents of La Plata County Colorado say the BLM neglected to notify them of a possible oil and gas development next to their homes. San Miguel County sued the BLM over oil and gas leases they had granted in the county, arguing that the agency failed to properly consider the impacts of drilling activity.

The ads come a week after WVP released polling from Colorado which found that voters’ strong opposition to Senator Gardner voting to confirm Bernhardt as the next Interior Secretary.

Specifically, the poll found:

• After hearing a series of messages against Bernhardt’s confirmation, Coloradans oppose Bernhardt’s confirmation by nearly two-to-one (29% support/57% oppose); and
• Wide majorities of Coloradans say they would feel unfavorably about Gardner (28% favorable/60% unfavorable) and would support replacing him in office (26% re-elect/62% replace) if he votes to confirm Bernhardt.

Previously, Western Values Project launched, www.DavidBernhardt.org, a comprehensive resource of primary source materials and background on Bernhardt’s work as a mega-lobbyist and how he used his position to help special interests.