The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) proposal to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas from 6,400 acres to as much as seven million acres has ignited a firestorm of controversy among landowners, agricultural producers, and energy companies. The refuge, currently the oldest in Texas, is located in Lamb County and protects migratory and native species such as the sandhill crane, pronghorn, and lesser prairie chicken.
The USFWS plans to use conservation easements and federal land purchases to expand the refuge. The approach has drawn sharp criticism, particularly from Texas Republican Jodey Arrington, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, whose congressional district encompasses the proposed expansion area. Arrington has denounced the plan, citing a lack of congressional approval, insufficient engagement with local stakeholders, and concerns about the voluntary nature of the land acquisition process.
“The last thing we need to do is spend money to buy up more land to somehow either appease an environmental group or maybe just achieve–what seems to be an odd objective–having the federal government own and operate a third of our land," Arrington said.
Landowners are particularly worried about the potential impact on property values and taxes, along with the restrictions that conservation easements could place on economic growth in West Texas.
Roosevelt County in New Mexico, which would also be affected by the expansion, has formally opposed the plan. A local resolution contends that the Conservation Partnership Area created by the expansion will violate county policies and threatens private property ownership and economic security.
The resolution argues that the conservation easements “reduce the tax value of the land by an average of 40 percent” and “restrict or eliminate the productive uses from the land that fuel the local economy.”
They cite hospitals, schools, emergency services, roads, and other essential services as examples of land use hampered by conservation easements.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening has also voiced opposition to the expansion. He claims the expansion “poses serious concerns for farm and ranch families in the impacted area.”
Travis Mires, President of Plains Cotton Growers Inc. (PCG), echoed the sentiment, expressing support for Arrington's efforts and advocating for the right of property owners to manage their own land.
"Farmers across the High Plains and Southern High Plains of Texas cherish our land as we work hard to produce high-quality fiber for the U.S. and world," he said. "PCG strongly supports property owners’ rights to manage their land as they see fit.”
Arrington has requested detailed data from the USFWS, and clarification on the plan's rationale, estimated costs to the federal government, timelines for obtaining conservation easements, and implications for agricultural producers.
Additionally, Arrington introduced an amendment to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to defund the expansion. During a House floor speech, he criticized the plan as a wasteful use of federal funds, arguing against the federal government owning and operating a third of the nation's land.
Arrington has challenged the USFWS claims that the expansion is needed to protect the sandhill crane and pronghorn, and has pointed to stable populations of the species. "Since there is no obvious threat of extinction for these animals, why are these animals used for justifying the expansion of this wildlife refuge?" he wrote in a letter to USFWS.
