Quality of life is what’s best for Montana’s economy

What attracts people and businesses to a new place? What helps existing businesses to expand and grow? Quality of life.

Gubernatorial candidate Pat Davison has claimed that Montana Wilderness Association and other conservation groups are "extremists" who have cost Montana jobs. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only extremists on the political scene today are people like Mr. Davison who don’t respect Montana’s heritage of beautiful landscapes, open lands and wildlife available to all.

By Gerry Jennings, Guest Columnist

(Thanks to Stephanie Kaleva for passing this along- Russ)

Grassroots, Montana-based conservation groups like the Montana Wilderness Association are the mainstream. We stand for the values Montanans cherish — clean air, clean water, a healthful environment, access to open spaces for ourselves and our children — a future for our children in a glorious place still worth living in.

With his proposals to open up Montana to reckless resource development. Mr. Davison would undermine Montanans’ most basic opportunities to hunt, fish, roam the wilderness and enjoy the beauty of our own home state. Montana would become a less desirable, less satisfying place to live. And our economy would suffer.

WHO REALLY CREATES JOBS?

Advocates for wildlife and wildlands are creating the groundwork we need for future jobs. The best friend Montana businessowners will ever have are people who love the outdoors and protect Montana’s natural heritage.

The Montana economy is driven by small businesses, often family-owned, not giant out-of-state behemoths. Ninety-seven percent of Montana businesses have fewer than 50 employees. Almost two-thirds of Montana businesses have only one to four employees! Small businesses drive Montana’s economy forward and provide the bulk of our new jobs, not uncaring corporate giants.

IT’S THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT COUNTS

We all want good, worthwhile jobs for Montana and a healthy economy so our young people can stay home in the state they love. Proposals to sacrifice Montana’s wild beauty while offering tax cuts to giant out-of-state corporations won’t do it. But saving our precious wild resources will lead to a healthy, thriving Montana economy.

The fastest growing cities in Montana are Missoula, Kalispell, and Bozeman. Why? Not because of reckless resource extraction. The growing economies of these cities aren’t built on mining or energy development. They’re built on environmental protection! They’re based on the conservation efforts of individuals and organizations who know they want to live in towns that are still surrounded by wild places full of wild creatures, with clean streams and clear, open skies. It’s the preserved beauty and outdoor qualities of these regions that have attracted new businesses, and are driving these cities forward.

LOOKING TO A REAL FUTURE

This is the new economy of the West. People want outdoor spaces, wildlife, healthy forests in which to hike, ski, hunt, fish, birdwatch, canoe and kayak and take their families picnicking. Those qualities still exist in Montana because of the hard work of citizens from every walk of life and all political parties who are dedicated to saving Montana’s unique outdoors splendor. And it works — the outdoors attracts new businesses and sustains businesses already in place.

Plant owners look for places they want to live. In the age of the Internet and electronic communications that new plant can be located anywhere. But where will the entrepreneur be happy? Where can he or she find motivated, educated, productive workers? In a place that offers good quality of life. A place that has been wise enough to preserve its access to outdoors recreation and outdoors grandeur.

It’s either/or. Entrepreneurs bringing new, high-tech, information age businesses aren’t going to site next to open-mouth pit mines or burgeoning oil fields. We can attract new, exciting businesses to Montana by caring for our environment and by preserving our quality of life; or we can we drive those businesses away by crashing through forest and plain without a thought for the future or a notion of where we’re going. Caring for wildlife and wild places is securing Montana’s economy and Montana’s future.

Gerry Jennings is president of the Montana Wilderness Association.