Pushback Against Muleshoe Growing

As landowners, community leaders, and elected officials learn more about the federal government’s massive expansion into Texas, opposition is growing, and citizens are beginning to push back. As reported on June 12th, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the New Mexico Game and Fish Department finally announced their grand plan in April to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge from 6.440 acres to 700,000 – expanding the Refuge by 1,000 percent! They plan to acquire these lands within a seven million-acre “acquisition” area that covers 15 Texas counties and five counties in New Mexico. Two leaders have recently pushed back against the Federal plan: U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-19), who represents 14 of the counties impacted in West Texas, and former U.S. Representative from New Mexico, Yvette Herrell. In a podcast aired July 16th called Talking Points with Jen Phillips, KAMC Good Morning Lubbock, Rep. Arrington said: “As the elected representative and Chairman of the (U.S.) House Budget Committee, I want to be clear, I oppose this federal land expansion, I oppose President Biden’s 30×30.” You can listen to the Talking Points podcast here… Rep. Arrington went on to say: “I’m a strong proponent of property rights, but once a landowner makes a deal with the devil, they can’t turn back the terms.”  “I would seriously caution the landowners in that area doing any deal with the federal government.” He also was not supportive of the use of conservation easements because of their permanent “static” protection of the land and cautioned landowners from signing one. Rep. Arrington sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this month requesting answers to key questions about the expansion. Former Representative Herrell stated in an Op-Ed published in the New Mexico Sun: “It will eliminate a portion of every local community tax base, reduce oil and mineral production in our state, and cheat private property owners out of future economic opportunities on the lands they have lived and worked on – in some cases for generations.” American Stewards is hosting a landowner’s meeting with State Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, along with local leaders from Texas and New Mexico on   Thursday, July 25th starting at 7 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the Lamb County Agriculture Building on East 7th Street in Littlefield, Texas. More details here.