Rep. Bruce Westerman: Fish and Wildlife Service Failing to Manage Existing Lands

Opposition to Land Expansion for Mule Shoe National Wildlife Refuge

• 🎯 HR 839 is supported as legislation to prevent the expansion of the federal estate in West Texas by blocking the final land protection plan for the Mule Shoe National Wildlife Refuge.
• 💡 The bill aims to prevent the federal government from acquiring more land when it already faces significant management challenges.

Federal Land Management and Maintenance Backlog

• ⚠️ The Fish and Wildlife Service has a two billion dollar backlog in maintenance, indicating an inability to adequately care for existing lands.
• 💰 The federal government should not be compelled to acquire land simply because a seller wishes to dispose of it, especially given current management deficiencies.

Property Rights and Federal Estate Growth

• ⚖️ While private property rights and a free market are important, this situation is framed not as a pure property rights issue, but as a concern about preventing the federal estate from growing unnecessarily.
• 🗣️ The representative from the affected district has stated that the refuge does not need to expand to 700,000 acres, which would incur substantial additional costs and management responsibilities.
• ✅ The core argument is that the Fish and Wildlife Service is failing to manage the land they already possess, making further expansion irresponsible.