Protect the Harvest was founded by the founder of Lucas Oil, has close ties to anti-government extremists, and makes false and misleading claims to undermine conservation efforts and efforts to combat climate change.
● Opposes the Biden Administration’s effort to conservative 30% of plants and waters by 2030
● Dedicated to opposing land protections, regulations, and conservationists
● Aligned with anti-land and anti-government extremists
● Forrest Lucas, Founder
● Dale Ludwig, President
Protect the Harvest is an extremist group dedicated to fighting land protections, regulations, and conservationists.
Protect the Harvest was founded by multimillionaire oil additive baron Forrest Lucas in 2011 to push anti-regulatory policies and Lucas’s personal interests through public messaging, lobbying, films, and campaign financing.
A sponsor of American Stewards of Liberty’s “Anti-30×30 Summit,” Protect the Harvest vocally opposed the Biden Administration’s America the Beautiful Conservation initiative that aims to conserve 30% of lands and waters by 2030. The group uses lies about a “land grab” and conspiracy theories regarding the United Nations and private property to fearmonger about the conservation effort.
Protect the Harvest and Forrest Lucas are closely aligned with anti-land and anti-government extremists. Forrest Lucas was the driving force behind public lands arsonists Dwight and Steven Hammond receiving a pardon from President Trump.
Protect the Harvest made its “people, resources, and checkbook available” to the Bundys during their militant occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The group provided the Bundys logistical support and promoted an exclusive video from Trent Loos interviewing Ammon Bundy during the occupation.
Forrest Lucas boasts close ties to politicians at the federal, state, and local levels, especially during the Trump administration. On top of serving on Trump’s agriculture advisory committee, Lucas was the “driving force” behind the nomination of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and maintained friendships with Vice President Mike Pence and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
Protect the Harvest’s board members include Trump-era Fish and Wildlife Director Aurelia Skipworth, the former head of the American Legislative Exchange Council, and commercial agriculture interests.
Forrest Lucas and his various groups and companies spend millions on influence and lobbying activities. Protect the Harvest runs ads against liberal candidates and lobby for their special interests alongside Lucas Oil. Lucas gave close to half a million dollars to candidates for federal office from 2010 to 2021. Lucas, his wife, and their companies additionally gave $583,340 to state and local politicians from 2007 to 2022.
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