The Montana Chamber of Commerce’s  P-Base Report recently issued the following finding: “A wide majority of voters trust that Montana businesses can be expected to do the right thing to protect the environment and treat their workers fairly. There has been no major shift in sentiment on this issue in recent years.”

The chamber reported that 71 percent of respondents said Montana businesses can be expected to do the right thing when it comes to protecting the environment. Another 73 percent indicated that oil and gas development, specifically, should be encouraged.

A total of 800 telephone interviews were conducted by Moore Information from Nov. 13 to 16 among a representative sample of voters in Montana. Interviews were conducted using live interviewers and included landline and cell phones. The sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

When asked about their perceptions of environmental groups, 47 percent of respondents indicated an “unfavorable” opinion, compared to 41 percent with a “favorable” opinion.

According to the poll, environmental groups have struggled with a negative image among voters since 2010, especially among men. Women, on the other hand, along with teachers and democrats, are said to be more likely to have a positive image of environmental groups.

“Voters support promoting the state’s four major natural resource industries due to jobs and economic growth and support development to increase coal exports,” the chamber’s report said.