SpaceX will get part of Texas state park in controversial land swap – The Dallas Morning News

Texas will give SpaceX a chunk of a beachfront state park despite widespread opposition from some environmental groups and indigenous tribes.

Parks and wildlife commissioners voted Monday to authorize the land swap. In exchange for turning over 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX, the state will get 477 acres near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about 10 miles away.

The land swap comes as SpaceX is preparing for a third launch of Starship in mid-March, pending approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Some 40 people spoke before Mondays vote in Austin, with most urging commissioners to reject the proposal.

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But a department spokesperson said the swap will strengthen conservation efforts around the refuge, which is a coastal home to wintering and migratory birds. Acquiring the land will also provide additional recreational opportunities, such as hiking, camping and wildlife viewing, the department said.

In a statement following Mondays vote, David Yoskowitz, executive director of the parks department, said both the agency and conservation community have for years been interested in acquiring this land.

But opponents, including Juan Macias, chairman of the Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe of Texas, have accused SpaceX of trying to colonize and destroy their land.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elon Musks space exploration company has transformed the Rio Grande Valley in recent years with its Starbase facility, rocket launches and plans to build a new multimillion dollar shopping center and restaurant in Brownsville.

Environmental groups and some residents have complained about noise, light pollution and construction. Last year, environmental groups sued the FAA, challenging its approval of SpaceXs expanded rocket launches.

The lawsuit was spurred by SpaceXs Starship exploding over South Texas shortly after a launch last April, sparking a fire and hurling chunks of concrete and metal shrapnel into the air.

Cameron County property records showed the 477 acres near the refuge are owned by Bahia Grande Holdings, which is registered in Austin. Its not clear how SpaceX and the property owner are connected.

Until recently, Texas has leased Boca Chica State Park to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversaw management of the 1,600 acres of dunes, flats, marshes and coastal grasslands. The state acquired the park, 3 miles north of the mouth of the Rio Grande, in 1994.

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SpaceX will get part of Texas state park in controversial land swap - The Dallas Morning News