The Trump administration is considering a deal with SpaceX that would give the aerospace company 775 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, according to reports.
SpaceX would get the land located in Cameron County in exchange for 692 acres of land it owns elsewhere in the county, some of it 20 miles away from the refuge, which would allow SpaceX to add to its rocket launch operation site, which critics have long warned may cause ecological damage and threats to nearby wildlife habitats.
A spokesperson for the Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the potential deal and said the federal government was exploring the exchange. It is unclear if the deal would require SpaceX to take steps to preserve wildlife in the area which is home to two endangered wild cats, the ocelot and jaguarundi, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
SpaceX had previously agreed to a land swap with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in 2024, but later pulled out of a deal to give the company 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park in exchange for 477 acres near Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. The company’s presence in the area year has become both a positive and negative issue since the creation of a new city, Starbase, which primarily is for SpaceX employees.
In May, the FAA gave the company approval to increase the number of rocket launches in South Texas; in June, the Texas Legislature gave the company authority to close a nearby beach for its launches; and in September, a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the FAA over the environmental impacts of a failed SpaceX rocket launch in 2023.
While the official Cameron County stance has shifted to generally support SpaceX’s operations, there is significant and ongoing opposition from local residents, environmental groups and the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas. These groups consistently raise concerns about environmental damage, loss of public beach access, risks from explosions, and the “corporate takeover”of their community.
The county commissioners have approved resolutions in support of the Starship project, abandoned public roads to the company, and granted permits for facilities like a liquid oxygen plant, often over the objections of residents.