Biden Administration Targeting Seven Million Acres in Texas and New Mexico for Acquisition

On April 16, 2024, The Biden administration released the “Final Land Protection Plan & Environmental Assessment” (LPP) for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge to “deliver in-perpetuity conservation of up to 700,000 acres of land” for federal control in Texas and New Mexico. However, it hasn’t been until this month that local, county or state officials have been notified of the Final Plan prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, New Mexico Game and Fish Department, The Nature Conservancy, and other “conservation partners.” The LPP proposes an “acquisition boundary” around the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) that “encompasses roughly 7,000,000 acres, within which the Service would strategically protect habitat by acquiring lands in fee title or using (perpetual) conservation easements on up to 700,000 acres from only willing sellers.” Originally created by Executive Order 7214 on October 24, 1935, by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge was 6,440 acres designated “as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife…” in Bailey County, Texas. The expanded acquisition area now includes 15 Texas counties and five New Mexico counties.  Those in Texas include Bailey, Castro, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Parmer, Terry and Yoakum Counties.  New Mexico includes Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Lea, and Roosevelt Counties. The Biden administration has targeted this region for permanent protection as part of their unauthorized 30×30 Land Grab, a.k.a. “America the Beautiful”.   They intend to accomplish this expansion without Congressional authorization or approval. All seven million acres are located within the Southern High Plains of the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico where some of our nation’s most prolific oil, gas, and mineral exploration and production occurs, as well as tremendous agricultural production from multiple crops and cattle operations.  Federally acquiring nearly three-quarters of a million acres from this region will be a direct attack on these industries that will bring devastation to the local economies, our state, and our nation. The Biden administration claims they will only purchase land or acquire conservation easements in perpetuity from “willing sellers.”  But, by drawing a circle around seven million acres, the federal government is signally they intend, one way or another, to obtain the 700,000 acres, and it signals future restrictions and regulations on the remaining acres. The federal government will apply pressure on the landowners, millions of dollars will be dangled in front of thousands of landowners, environmental organizations will be given billions of dollars in federal grants to purchase as many conservation easements as possible and the landowners will face immense pressure to concede their private property rights all in the name of protecting habitat from “energy development, climate change, habitat fragmentation, and aquifer decline.” The use of conservation easements is very telling.  They specifically state their “goal is to deliver in-perpetuity conservation of up to 700,000 acres…”   The term “in-perpetuity” is the key that every landowner should heed. It is the right of any landowner to do whatever they wish with their private property.  If they wish to sell the fee title to the federal government, they can.  However, what every landowner who decides not to sell needs to know is, they will be pressured to place a conservation easement on their land. This becomes a very important and difficult decision for many families placed in this situation.  And it’s all by design. Note, the Biden administration considers all conservation easements part of their 30×30 Land Grab plan, and all those lands controlled by an easement are considered permanently protected and that protection is enforced by the federal government.  That’s the end goal of this LPP scheme – for the federal government to own, manage, and control as many Texas and New Mexico private property acres as possible. Local Counties and Governmental Entities Fight Back Since learning of this plan, many local governmental entities are organizing to fight the federal and state agencies.  Counties are adopting resolutions opposing the Plan and are in the beginning stages of creating planning commissions under Texas Local Government Code 391. One of the greatest tools available is the Texas Local Government Code 391 allowing counties and municipalities to form planning commissions that require all state agencies to “coordinate to the greatest extent feasible.” What that means is, once two counties form a planning commission, they can bring Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and other state or federal agency to their board requiring them to resolve conflicts with the local position. Specifically, Texas Local Government Code 391.009(c) states: “In carrying out their planning and program development responsibilities, state agencies shall, to the greatest extent feasible, coordinate planning with commissions to ensure effective and orderly implementation of state programs at the regional level.” American Stewards used this very statute to stop the Trans-Texas Corridor in 2007.  We’ve used it multiple times on other state issues and will be advising and assisting all planning commissions throughout this process. One of the major issues to be raised is the failure of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider the economic impacts to the local communities and the state once 700,000 acres of private acres are removed from the local tax rolls.  The main purpose of this Refuge isn’t “conservation,” but it is the Biden administration’s war on America to stop all oil, gas, and agriculture production. This will have devastating effects on all the local tax bases and the state treasury.  Removing 700,000 acres from any economic production will also have direct impacts on all local school, utility, water, hospital and other public districts that depend on local tax base for their budgets.  None of these local issues were considered or discussed. The Biden administration is using every federal law possible to destroy the productivity and economy of one of the greatest conservative and successful states in the nation.  This must be stopped.  We must prevent the federal government from federalizing our private property and ruining the lives of thousands of patriotic citizens of Texas and New Mexico.  Learn more about the 30×30 Muleshoe Land Grab…