Press Releases
New Accountable.US Research Exposes Anti-Conservation Groups’ Lies and Industry Ties
Today, Accountable.US released a new project on its Monitoring Influence database documenting the most notorious opponents of common-sense conservation efforts like national monument designations, exposing their lies, fringe views, and industry ties. Many of the groups profiled engage in conspiracy-driven tactics, grift off local governments in rural communities, and embrace violent tactics, including unlawfully occupying public lands to force their extreme agenda on Americans.
Big Oil and other extractive industries know public lands conservation is widely popular, so they bankroll the MAGA majority in Congress and extremists to gin up opposition to help them continue lining their pockets. This resource empowers citizens, public officials, and journalists with the in-depth analysis necessary to hold these industry-backed extremist groups accountable”
Chris Marshall, a spokesperson for Accountable.US
Initial profiled organizations include:
- American Stewards of Liberty: ASL has taken over $700,000 in tax dollars by offering local governments dubious contract work. ASL pays its husband-wife executive duo as much as 94% of its total revenue.
- Blue Ribbon Coalition: The BRC opposes national monument designations that would protect places like Coloardo’s Dolores River Canyon Country. BRC gets most of its money from the off-highway vehicle industry. BRC received substantial money from the oil and timber industries.
- Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow: CFACT and its climate denial are funded by Big Oil, getting over half a million dollars from Exxon and north of $7.8M from Donors Trust and the Koch brothers networks.
- Protect the Harvest: The organization 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.
- The Heartland Institute: The Institute receives funding from Fossil Fuel Industry, opposes public lands conservation policies, and engages in spreading climate denialism.
- True Texas Project: The group amplifies the white supremacists“great replacement theory” and lies about election fraud while acting as apologists for mass shooters.
- Heritage Waters Coalition: The group was founded to oppose the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild & Scenic River Act and has strong ties to individuals in the mining industry.
Accountable.US launched its Monitoring Influence database to document and track the dark influence network made up of dangerous groups. Learn more at MonitoringInfluence.org.
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