Today, Montana Conservation Voters (MCV) announced its first endorsement of 2017 by supporting the re-election of Missoula Mayor John Engen.

Mayor Engen earned his endorsement for his advocacy and commitment to protecting our clean water, public lands, and his extraordinary dedication to combating climate change by acting at the local level.

“Missoulians know they can count on Mayor Engen to lead on the important conservation and climate issues facing our community” said MCV Executive Director Clayton Elliott, “We’ve seen Mayor Engen fight to maintain Missoulians’ access to clean water and quality of life - we need to re-elect our mayor to ensure this important progress continues.”

While this endorsement comes early, its certainly not the first time Engen has received accolades from the conservation community. Mayor Engen also received an endorsement from MCV during his successful bids for Mayor in 2005, 2009, and 2013, as well as for his run for city council where he served one term, in 2001.

Last year, Montana Conservation Voters endorsement helped put Governor Bullock over the top in a tough race, for his leadership to protect Montana’s public lands and best in the nation stream access laws. Montana’s conservation and outdoor community stepped up in a record way to protect Montana’s clean air, clean water, and wild country.

MCV works in races from City Council to Congress. Locally, MCV most recently touted its election of Dave Strohmaier to the Missoula County Commission.

The first of the organization’s 2017 endorsements, Engen earned this distinction for his bold leadership where national leaders have failed.

“We’ve seen Mayor Engen be a true trailblazer in Montana when he led by being the first Mayor in the state to sign onto the Paris Climate Accord and stand with leaders across the country in combating climate change,” said MCV vice chair, Robin Saha, an environmental studies professor at the University of Montana.

MCV is a statewide non-partisan membership organization that is dedicated to fighting for Montana’s air, water, open space, wildlife, and public health. MCV provides voter participation services to over 72,000 Montanans.

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