Trump Administration Halts Controversial Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge Expansion
The Biden administration plan sought to acquire hundreds of thousands of acres in West Texas.
Excerpt:
The Trump administration’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has officially withdrawn the Land Protection Plan that would have enabled a dramatic expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in West Texas, a move celebrated by Texas lawmakers and land rights advocates as a major victory for private property rights.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the withdrawal on Wednesday, with Service Principal Deputy Director Justin Shirley explaining it is “consistent with the priorities of the Trump administration” by “reducing regulatory burdens, strengthening partnerships with state and local stakeholders, and ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.”
Originally finalized under the Biden administration, the Muleshoe Land Protection Plan would have allowed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the refuge from its current 6,440 acres to up to 700,000 acres—an increase of over 10,000 percent—by purchasing land or acquiring conservation easements from willing sellers across a vast area of Texas and New Mexico.
.....The project engendered strong opposition from Texas representatives, including House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R–Lubbock), who played a pivotal role in the reversal.
.....Arrington praised the Trump Administration for listening to Texans and halting the plan, highlighting the need to “defend our tax dollars, private property rights, and way of life.”
Margaret Byfield, executive director of American Stewards of Liberty, thanked both President Trump and Arrington for protecting the property rights of Texans, describing the halted plan as a key reversal of the 30×30 agenda.
The Trump administration’s action means the federal government will not seek to acquire additional lands or submit land acquisition proposals for the refuge’s expansion boundary, allaying the concerns of local communities across West Texas.