House Committee Set to Block Science-Based Management of America's Public Lands

Strategic Insights -

The House Natural Resources Committee is set to vote on a bill, H.R. 839, which would block the implementation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Land Protection Plan for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), would undermine 15 years of research and collaboration with the local community that established an approved acquisition boundary for the refuge's expansion.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, the oldest refuge in Texas, is home to over 200 species of wildlife, including the federally endangered Southern Distinct Population Segment of the lesser prairie chicken.
  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works only with willing sellers in land acquisitions, ensuring that no landowner is forced or pressured to sell.
  • The approved acquisition boundary imposes no new regulations on landowners and has no effect on their property rights.
  • H.R. 839 would set a dangerous precedent for refuges throughout the country, potentially hindering the protection of hundreds of threatened and endangered species.
  • The bill is opposed by Defenders of Wildlife, a leading advocate for wildlife conservation, which argues that it would undermine decades of progress protecting wildlife on public lands.
  • The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge protects important grassland and wetland habitats in the Southern High Plains, and its expansion is essential to the recovery of the lesser prairie chicken.
  • Rep. Jodey Arrington's bill is based on misinformation and has been criticized by Nathan Marcy, senior federal lands policy analyst at Defenders of Wildlife, as an attempt to thwart the National Wildlife Refuge System's mission.

Statistics:

  • The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge protects over 100,000 acres of land and habitat for over 200 species of wildlife.
  • The approved acquisition boundary for the refuge allows for the expansion of 30,000 acres over the next 30 years.
  • 15 years of research and collaboration with the local community went into establishing the approved acquisition boundary for the refuge's expansion.
  • Defenders of Wildlife has over 2.1 million members and activists across the United States.
  • The House Natural Resources Committee is set to vote on H.R. 839 on Wednesday.

Sources:

  • Defenders of Wildlife: Press Release
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge