Today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the No Federal Expansion Designation (No FED) in West Texas Act. This legislation was introduced by House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington on January 31, 2025. The bill aims to block the Biden Administration’s Final Land Protection Plan, which seeks to expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge significantly. The proposed expansion has been criticized for infringing on private property rights and is seen as government overreach affecting West Texas communities.
The advancement of this bill out of committee marks a significant step toward its consideration by the full House of Representatives.
Background information reveals that on May 16, 2025, Arrington collaborated with Reps. Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt to send a letter urging support from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. They aim to protect West Texans from what they describe as an unnecessary federal land expansion.
Arrington has been vocal about his opposition to the expansion. On April 8, 2025, he advocated for the No FED in West Texas Act during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing. Previously, he expressed his views in an op-ed published in the Dallas Morning News on September 17, 2024. Additionally, he discussed his concerns in an interview with Lubbock’s KAMC on July 16, 2024.
On July 1, 2024, Arrington sent a letter to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking clarification on efforts to expand the refuge through private land acquisition.
The rule in question involves a plan finalized by Biden’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2024. This plan allows for purchasing private lands or acquiring conservation easements from willing sellers across up to 700,000 acres in Texas and New Mexico to enhance conservation efforts at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.
Video resources related to this topic include statements by American Stewards of Liberty and speeches by Chairman Arrington against the expansion.
