Texas Tribune by Alejandra Martinez March 4, 2024
Monday’s vote lets Texas Parks and Wildlife staff begin negotiations to swap 43 acres in the park for 477 acres next to a federal wildlife refuge.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously Monday to pursue an exchange that would give 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park in Cameron County to Elon Musk’s SpaceX spacecraft company.
The state park land would be swapped for 477 acres adjacent to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, an area the agency has been interested in for many years because it’s “one of the most biologically diverse regions in North America” and provides habitat for endangered species and migratory birds, the agency said.
The vote grants Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff the authority to begin negotiations with SpaceX for the land swap, including conducting environmental assessments that could take up to 18 months.
At a press conference after the meeting, Several South Texas community and environmental groups held signs reading “protect Boca Chica Beach” and said they are disappointed with the agency’s decision.
Boca Chica, a 1,354-acre park located at Texas’ southernmost point along the Gulf Coast, about 20 miles east of Brownsville, has long been a favorite swimming and fishing destination for the majority Hispanic community in the Rio Grande Valley.
At Monday’s TPWD meeting in Austin — the last opportunity for people to give feedback on the land swap — almost all chairs were occupied and people stood in the back. During nearly four hours of public testimony, most speakers opposed the exchange, including some who drove more than 300 miles to Austin from Brownsville in three minivans.
More:
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/04/texas-spacex-boca-chica-park-land-swap/
