Former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen is among three Democratic U.S. Senate candidates being targeted for help by a coalition of five powerful environmental groups. One of those groups, the Sierra Club, formally endorsed Shaheen yesterday, citing her "excellent record on important environmental issues."
Sen. John Sununu responded by criticizing Shaheen's endorsement by a "Washington interest group" that he said has tried to undermine the state's 10-year plan for protecting and managing the White Mountain National Forest.
The five groups intend to launch "a coordinated effort to put a lot of resources on the ground" in New Hampshire to try to help Shaheen defeat Republican Sununu, said Josh McNeil of the League of Conservation Voters.
The LCV endorsed Shaheen earlier this year. That group is being joined by the Sierra Club, the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Clean Water Action and Environment America in an effort to "elect a veto-proof, 60-vote pro-environment majority in the United States Senate," according to an announcement.
Sununu has a lifetime 35 percent LCV rating and "has been tied to a bad vote on the energy bill" and support for President George W. Bush's "negative environmental agenda," said Elise Annunziata, of Clean Water Action.
Annunziata said Shaheen, as governor, worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Sununu countered in a press release, "How fitting that endorsement being trumpeted by Jeanne Shaheen is from a Washington interest group that is trying to undermine New Hampshire's 10-year forest plan for protecting, supporting and managing the White Mountain National Forest.
"Jeanne Shaheen has turned her back on her own state, endorsing the tactics of a D.C. lobbyist group that is working to tear apart what was built through consensus and cooperation here in New Hampshire," Sununu said. "When I wrote the New England Wilderness Act, I didn't ask anyone from Washington how to do it. I worked closely with conservation groups here in New Hampshire, including the Forest Society, the Friends of Sandwich Range, and the Friends of Wild River."
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg added that the forest management plan "involved many years of work and meetings by local environmental groups, the timber industry, and recreational groups like the Appalachian Mountain Club and the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association. It is a balanced plan that is strongly supported throughout New Hampshire, including by our state officials.
"However, national environmental groups led by the Sierra Club have sued to stop this plan from going forward and are actively trying to poison the well of cooperation that has served our state so well for so long."
Gregg said, "This is inexcusable, and the actions of the Sierra Club should be rejected by anyone interested in maintaining and promoting the high quality of New Hampshire's environment and especially the unique strengths and characteristics of the White Mountains which play such a large part in defining our state."
Shaheen said she was honored by the Sierra Club endorsement.
"We need leadership in Washington that understands the urgency of our environmental situation and the need for green policies," she said.
In a telephone news conference yesterday, officials of the environmental coalition would not say how much money they intend to spend to try to elect Shaheen. They said their activities will include paid advertising, having volunteers go door-to-door, telephone calls to voters, news conferences and "statewide polling and research."
They said they also intend to help Democratic Senate candidates Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico. The Udalls are cousins.
