The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, located in Bailey County, Texas, is undergoing a proposed expansion plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan aims to increase the protection of up to 700,000 acres of wildlife habitat, which is approximately 110 times the current size of the refuge. This expansion is part of the Biden Administration’s $1 billion “America the Beautiful” initiative, a conservation effort to conserve and restore at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.
The expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge has received criticism from some stakeholders, including State Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-19), who believes that the expansion may take cotton acres from local farmers and producers. Critics argue that the initiative could lead to the federal government taking land from producers, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reaffirmed that the effort is opt-in and that selling landowners would receive “fair compensation.”
The expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge would support populations of sandhill cranes, pronghorn, and lesser prairie-chicken, among other native species. The initiative would preserve playa wetlands, saline lakes, and large patches of grasslands, which are among the most imperiled ecosystems in the U.S. The effort relies on the cooperation of private landowners who are interested in selling land or granting easements for conservation efforts. Landowners can participate through fee title acquisitions or easement acquisitions, both of which are voluntary.
In addition to the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, the America the Beautiful initiative seeks to conserve up to 850,000 acres of wildlife habitat in Texas, including 150,000 acres at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Austwell and Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge in Wadsworth on the Gulf Coast prairies and marshes.
