by Casey Anderson, National Geographic Explorer, Paradise Valley
I’ve spent most of my life avoiding politics. I’d rather disappear into Montana’s wildest places—that’s why I became a wildlife filmmaker—but I can’t stay on the sidelines anymore.
Like most Montanans, I believe in common-sense stewardship: responsible public land management grounded in access, long-term thinking, and policies that support our communities and our future. I believe public lands should stay in public hands, and I believe our leaders should be honest about their priorities.
That’s not what I’m seeing.
Instead, I see a pattern: candidates say what voters want to hear about protecting access, clean water, and wildlife habitat. Then the election ends, and their actions tell a different story.
They support policies that give wealthy interests more control over public lands, set public lands up for privatization, push cuts to the Forest Service and National Park Service, and back decisions that shut the public out. They vote for leadership that opens the door to privatization. Over time, those choices erode the systems that keep our public lands healthy, accessible, and truly public.
The places at stake are personal. They are to me.
When I was nine, my parents called me and my brother over to tell us they were getting a divorce. Before the words had fully landed, I ran—past the yard, toward the creek, and into the public land behind our house. The farther I went, the quieter it got. Out there, nothing had changed. The world still made sense.
Public lands have been my anchor ever since. They belong to all of us, regardless of who we are or where we come from. I want my kids—and yours—to have that same connection. But I worry we’re slowly giving it away.
Loss doesn’t always happen all at once. It happens piece by piece—access restricted, parcels sold, decisions made behind closed doors—until one day something essential is gone.
These aren’t accidents. Candidates know how much public lands matter in Montana, so they campaign as supporters whether or not their records reflect it.
Montanans deserve better. If a candidate is committed to protecting public lands, they should say so clearly—and prove it with their votes. If they’re not, they should be honest about that too.
Because leadership isn’t about what you say. It’s about what you do.
Here in Montana, we value straight talk. Public lands are on the ballot this year, whether candidates admit it or not. And this time, we’re paying attention to actions, not promises.
This year, we won’t just disappear into the places we love. We’ll show up and vote like our public lands depend on it.
Because they do.
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