The goal will be to hold local officials accountable for their votes on the environment, said Jason Kiely, a MCV statewide board member.
The chapter will try to help elect conservationists and defeat incumbents with poor records, he said.
The chapter will issue scorecards for members of the Missoula County Commission, Missoula City Council and their citizen-appointed boards.
“We'll be watching them and offering them guidance as well,” said Brianna Randall of the Missoula chapter steering committee.
Top issues in the Missoula area include growth, streamside setbacks, water quality, infrastructure costs, renewable energy and sustainable transportation, such as light rail and bicycling lanes.
The chapter will help recruit and endorse candidates at the local, state and federal level.
The Missoula County chapter is the fourth local group in the state.
More chapters are being formed as the MCV “realizes the importance of local politics” on clean air and water, sprawl and other issues, Kiely said.
“It's easier to get more progressive approaches passed at the grass-roots level than at the state and federal levels,” Randall said.
A local steering committee has been meeting for six weeks to create a leadership team to run the chapter.
The team has a diverse membership, including students, lawyers, health care professionals, educators, foresters, outfitters and others.
The chapter will be launched from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Florence Building, 111 N. Higgins Ave.
Missoulians already are interested in the environment - 12,000 belong to conservation groups and 471 are members of the statewide MCV.
“We hope to build on that base,” said Kiely, who's also a MCV statewide board member.
The local chapter also will register voters and distribute fliers and other campaign material.
Founded in 1999, MCV is a nonpartisan group and a member of the national League of Conservation Voters.
For more information, go to Montana Conservation Voters at www.mtvoters.org.
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