LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS — Environmental groups filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington seeking to halt a proposed land exchange between the Trump administration and SpaceX in Texas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved proceeding with the land exchange agreement with SpaceX earlier this month.
Under the agreement, SpaceX would transfer 683 acres of privately owned land to the federal government. In return, the company would receive more than 700 acres within the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Maps indicate the federal land SpaceX would acquire under the proposal is located closer to its launchpad near the U.S.-Mexico border than the company's current property.
The lawsuit, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups, states, "Rather than exercising its enforcement authority to protect the Refuge from SpaceX's activities and to require mitigation to address the harm SpaceX has caused, the [Fish and Wildlife Service] seeks to give SpaceX over 700 acres within the Refuge."
The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge spans 103,000 acres across four counties along the Texas border. The refuge contains designated animal habitats and historical sites. Opponents of the land exchange have expressed concerns regarding restricted beach access and potential hazards from rocket operations.
The agency published a final environmental assessment report concluding the land exchange would not cause a substantial environmental impact. That report stated the federal acquisition would represent a net conservation benefit and improve landscape-scale habitat connectivity across refuges in South Texas.
A spokesperson for the agency stated that the agency does not comment on ongoing litigation. The lawsuit was filed while SpaceX prepares to become a publicly traded company. SpaceX employees voted last year to establish an incorporated local government named Starbase.