Conservation, indigenous groups sue Texas Parks and Wildlife to block SpaceX land swap

By Sarah Bahari | Dallas Morning News

Conservation organizations and indigenous groups are suing Texas Parks and Wildlife to block a controversial land swap with SpaceX one month after commissioners approved the deal.

In a lawsuit filed this month in Travis County, three groups argued commissioners made the decision in bad faith and ignored the best interests of both the community and state parks. The coalition also argued the land swap is unlawful because the state failed to consider alternatives to giving away public land and failed to ensure that harm to public land would be minimized.

“This is just the latest example of our state officials failing to fulfill their obligations to Texans, whenever SpaceX is involved,” said Marisa Perales, an attorney representing the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas and Save RGV.

As part of the deal, the state agreed to turn over 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX in exchange for 477 acres near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about 10 miles away. Some 40 people spoke before the vote in Austin, with most urging commissioners to reject the proposal.

But the parks department said repeatedly 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.

David Yoskowitz, executive director of the parks department, previously said both the agency and conservation community have long been interested in acquiring this land.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cory Chandler, a spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife, said the agency cannot comment on pending litigation. He said the exchange is pending an environmental assessment by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is underway.

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

But some groups, including the South Texas Environmental Justice Network and Save RGV, have complained about noise, light pollution and construction. The environmental justice network works to support communities of color, and Save RGV advocates for environmental and education issues in South Texas.

Last year, environmental groups sued the FAA, challenging its approval of SpaceX’s expanded rocket launches after a rocket exploded last year and hurled chunks of concrete and metal shrapnel into the air.

Indigenous to the Rio Grande Valley, the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe has accused the company of trying to colonize their land.

“Boca Chica Beach is sacred to our Tribe, and the land is part of our origin story,” said Juan Mancias, the tribe’s chairman said in a statement. “Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission cannot be allowed to give our lands with archeological remains to SpaceX to use as a testing playground.”

Property records showed the 477 acres near the refuge are owned by Bahia Grande Holdings, a company registered in Austin. Last month, the Texas Standard reported that SpaceX is still negotiating the purchase of that land.

Before the vote, Texas 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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