By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) withdrew its final Land Protection Plan (LPP) expansion for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in the Texas Panhandle.

The LPP aimed to conserve and restore up to 700,000 additional acres of wildlife habitat across the Southern High Plains of Texas and Eastern New Mexico. The plan, which was announced last year, authorized FWS to purchase land or secure conservation easements from willing landowners within the designated project boundaries.

The proposed expansion was part of the Biden administration’s $1 billion “America the Beautiful” initiative that set to conserve and restore at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

The project also faced strong opposition from stakeholders, including U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, who believed the expansion would take cotton acres from farmers. Arrington introduced the No Federal Expansion Designation (No FED) in West Texas Act to prohibit the expansion, and it passed the U.S. House.

The withdrawal follows President Donald Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” executive order issued in January. It directed federal agencies to reassess land use policies that may limit energy development or agricultural production.

As part of the order, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum was instructed to review current federal land agreements and reduce or eliminate those deemed to be limit energy or agricultural production.

“Consistent with the priorities of the Trump administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to reducing regulatory burdens, strengthening partnerships with state and local stakeholders and ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources,” FWS Principal Deputy Director J. Shirley said in a statement.

The withdrawal of the LPP directs FWS to stop all activities related to the plan’s acquisition boundary and no longer request Congressional funding or submit acquisition proposals to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

“Texas Farm Bureau is pleased with the Fish and Wildlife Services’ decision to withdraw its proposal to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge,” said Jay Bragg, TFB associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities. “The expansion would have permanently tied up working lands and negatively impacted local economies that rely on agricultural production.”