Western Values Project Action is launching the PUBLIC (Protecting the USA’s Beautiful Lands in Congress) Lands Campaign, first by releasing new in-district polling highlighting Washington voters’ strong opposition to legislation that threatens public lands and recent executive action reducing protected public lands in national monuments across the West. The PUBLIC Lands Campaign will hold Congresswoman Herrera Beutler accountable for her votes on public lands legislation.
The final polling results can be found here. The poll reveals a strong disconnect on public lands between Rep. Herrera Beutler and her constituents. Specifically, by a nearly two-to-one margin (32% support/62% oppose), her constituents oppose Trump’s executive orders to cut roughly two million acres from two Utah monuments. Further, over half of voters (52%) are “strongly” opposed, and opposition to the executive orders has increased by double digits since a similar poll conducted in December (40% support/51% oppose).
The new polling is part of a broader multi-platform ad campaign, with a series of new print, digital, and billboard advertisements telling Rep. Herrera Beutler to protect public lands and national monuments. The ad asks Congresswoman Herrera Beutler to definitively clarify her position on public land protections and key anti-public lands legislation that is making its way through Congress.
“While talking out of both sides of your mouth may work in Washington, D.C., people all across the West expect straight answers, especially on something as integral to our way of life as our public lands,” said Chris Saeger, executive director of the Western Values Project Action. “Congresswoman Herrera Beutler will be a key vote on legislation that could have devastating impacts on public lands in her home state and across the West. Instead of wiggling her way out of answering repeated requests to clarify their position on public lands, she should face their constituents and tell them directly.”
The print, digital, and billboard advertisements and new polling follow television and radio ads and polling last month targeting Reps. Walden, Herrera Beutler, and McSally on their silence regarding President Trump’s decision to unlawfully gut two million acres of protected public lands in Utah. Secretary Zinke is currently reviewing nearly two dozen other national monument designations in the West.
The latest ad asks that if Congresswoman Herrera Beutler “truly supports public lands,” then she needs to come out against H.R. 4532 and H.R. 3990 – “two bills among many in Congress that would end protections of our national treasures.” H.R. 4532 would codify Trump’s reduction of Bears Ears National Monument and H.R. 3990 would eviscerate the Antiquities Act by allowing current and future Presidents to eliminate protections on public lands that were designated national monuments without congressional approval.
The ads will run in Rep. Herrera Beutler’s district and prompt constituents to call her office seeking clarification on her positions.
“Given the strong opposition in Herrera Beutler’s district to any legislation that undermines public land protections, one can only assume that unless she votes against these anti-public lands bills, she is indeed listening to the special interests who want nothing more than to exploit our public lands for their own gain,” said Saeger.
Also published on Medium.