Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund expands effort against Musgrave

U.S. Rep. Marilyn MusgraveThe Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, an environmental advocacy organization, is expanding its effort to unseat U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Fort Collins).

Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen said the organization was building an aggressive ground operation in the Fort Collins area that would be in place by the end of July. Leading the effort is Ed Yoon, who in managed the Defender’s successful campaign to oust U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo of California. This cycle Yoon has been active in the organization’s efforts in House and Senate races in New Mexico.

The move comes several weeks after the organization launched several hard-hitting advertisements portraying Musgrave as out-of-touch on the environment and too close to President Bush on the issue. The organization placed a significant sum of money behind the ads, purchasing about $200,000 worth of air time and spending about $12,000 to produce the ads.

Musgrave is preparing to square off against Betsy Markey, a businesswoman and former Larimer County Democratic Party chair. The district, which resides in the northeastern part of the state, is largely conservative. But the district also has an independent streak and the environment is a top concern.

Schlickeisen said the organization sees a real opportunity to unseat Musgrave. “We’ve polled there. We think her numbers are vulnerable,” he said.

The Defenders push is part of a coordinated effort from environmental groups like League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club to target competitive House and Senate races in Colorado, New Mexico, and New Hampshire. The League of Conservation Voters is heavily targeting Colorado’s Senate race between Democrat Mark Udall and Republican Bob Schaffer.

Schlickeisen said the organization was eyeing the possibility of targeting the seats of Alaska Rep. Don Young, Arizona Rep. John Shadegg, Michigan Rep. Joe Knollenberg, and retiring Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi.