Democrat Sen. Jon Tester led Montana's three-man congressional pack with an 80 percent rating from a national environmental group that ranked national lawmakers on key pro-environment votes last year.

Democrat Sen. Max Baucus earned a 67 percent score, while Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg earned a 10 percent rating. Both Baucus and Rehberg are up for re-election this year, while Tester was elected in 2006.

The scores were announced at a press conference here Thursday coinciding with the national release of the League of Conservation Voters' National Environmental Score Card.

The league is a Washington, D.C.,-based environmental group that pushes for pro-environment legislation nationally and at state legislatures. The group has been rating both the U.S. Senate and House environmental voting records since 1970.

This year, the U.S. Senate averaged a 52 percent score while the House earned an average 53 percent.

The ranks are based on how all national lawmakers voted on key environmental bills, like a successful measure that will increase the mandatory fuel efficiency requirements of cars and trucks.

Baucus and Tester voted in favor of setting higher fuel efficiency standards and to require all energy companies to get at least 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources, among other measures.

Such votes were counted as pro-environment action in the league's analysis. However, the senators voted against changing farm subsidies and prioritizing federal water projects. Those voters were counted as anti-environment actions.

Rehberg voted against a non-binding resolution stating Congress generally supports capping greenhouse effect-causing pollution and against a measure calling for increased fuel efficiency in cars and trucks. Those votes were counted as anti-environment.

Rehberg cast two votes considered pro-environment in the study: He voted to increase the budgets of the national parks and other wildlife and conversation agencies by $2 billion over President Bush's recommendations. Rehberg also voted to increase money for water infrastructure and clean water programs.