Episode 56 — Hal Herring on the movement to privatize America’s public lands
Release Date: 02/19/2020
Shared State
Montana Lowdown
From what it means to be a “real Montanan,” to voter access, to public land, to rugged individualism, Shared State will bridge history, politics, and the daily reality of Montanans as we approach a landmark election.
info_outline
Uphill Part 2: “This is like dust in the air. We all breathe it.”
Montana Lowdown
In part 2 of Uphill, reporter Mara Silvers examines how community groups in various towns across Montana are pushing local governments to invest in social programs rather than policing, how organizers are calling on businesses to implement anti-racist policies and practices, and how some are even collecting bail funds for people in county jails and detention centers.
info_outline
Uphill Part 1: “Does anyone know who’s watching us right now?”
Montana Lowdown
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police in Minneapolis, Black Lives Matter protests have surged across the country.
info_outline
2020 primary results, and a preview of the path to November
Montana Lowdown
Our panel of elections reporters looks at the results of the 2020 primary election, and offer a preview of the nominees’ path to November.
info_outline
Republican factions battle for control of the state legislature
Montana Lowdown
Montana Free Press reporters Mara Silvers and Eric Dietrich and freelance reporter Alex Sakariassen join Editor-in-Chief John S. Adams to discuss Montana's June 2 primary election and what the results could mean for the 2021 Montana Legislature.
info_outline
Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte
Montana Lowdown
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte discusses his vision for rebooting the Montana economy, his record in the U.S. Congress, and addresses notable criticisms.
info_outline
Democratic Senate candidate John Mues
Montana Lowdown
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Mues makes a progressive pitch to voters on energy and the economy, and criticizes his primary opponent — and presumptive Democratic nominee — Gov. Steve Bullock for a lack of details on his own political positions.
info_outline
Republican U.S. House candidate Matt Rosendale
Montana Lowdown
Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Matt Rosendale talks about his response to the coronavirus pandemic, his opposition to the ACA, his support for President Donald Trump, and why he believes he’s the best Republican candidate for Montana’s sole seat in the U.S. House. Rosendale also responds to past criticisms he’s received from both Republicans and Democrats.
info_outline
Unpacking the polling on pandemic recovery and Montana’s senate race
Montana Lowdown
We unpack the results of recent polling on the pandemic, the recovery, and their implications for Montana’s senate race, with Dr. David Parker of Montana State University and Mike Dennison, Chief Political Reporter for the Montana Television Network.
info_outline
Democratic candidate for governor Mike Cooney
Montana Lowdown
Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney points to prior victory over Greg Gianforte and the need for experienced leadership during pandemic recovery in presenting his case for the Democratic nomination for governor of Montana.
info_outlineThis week, Patagonia Films premiered the documentary feature Public Trust at the 17th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula. The film examines how private interests, especially extractive industries, are attempting to undermine America’s public lands legacy. The film focuses on three specific conflicts at Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Wilderness, and northeastern Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The film prominently features Hal Herring, an award-winning journalist and Montana resident who has spent more than two decades working in, and writing about, public lands in the American West.
Herring tells Montana Free Press editor-in-chief John S. Adams, “We should understand that there is a movement afoot to privatize the American public lands, and we should know what those [lands] are before we come down on one side or another in that debate. And we should know who’s driving that debate, and what is at stake for us, and our children and grandchildren.”
The public lands issue has become a rallying point for the Democratic Party in the American West. But while Herring supports the concept of public lands, he’s also sometimes critical of Democratic approaches to the issue, noting that sweeping changes such as the Bill Clinton-era roadless rule and Barack Obama’s Bears Ears National Monument designation have been undertaken without making the case to citizens.
As Herring tells Adams, “I’m convinced that we can not leave environmental and conservation eggs in the basket of one party.” He pushes back on ideological public-lands stances taken by Democrats and Republicans alike, saying the parties “need to horse trade.” He also suggests that the issue presents a unique opportunity for conservative political candidates, saying he’s “waiting for a kind of quiet revolution in conservative America to come to solving environmental problems in the future.”
Herring and Adams also discuss the history of the American public lands movement, from the aftermath of the Mexican-American War through the privatization ideology promoted by President Ronald Reagan, which continues to resonate.
Herring’s conversation with Adams was recorded on the eve of the film’s public premiere. The Montana Lowdown podcast is a weekly publication of Montana Free Press.