Vote delayed on controversial SpaceX, Texas park land swap after outcry – By Andrea Guzmán (Chron) / Jan 25, 2024
South Texans say they were blindsided by a proposal to trade 43 acres at Boca Chica State Park for 477 acres from SpaceX.
A vote on a proposal for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to give SpaceX land on Boca Chica State Park in exchange for 477 acres of a wildlife refuge was scheduled to happen Thursday but has been pushed back to March following an outcry from South Texans.
The proposal, which follows two launch tests of SpaceX’s Starship rocket last year, would increase public recreational opportunities and improve conservation of sensitive habitats, TPWD says. But it would also mean land of South Texans’ prized Boca Chica State Park, which is about 1,060 acres of dunes, flats, marshes and coastal grasslands 3 miles from the mouth of the Rio Grande, would be given to Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The rocket and spacecraft company has come under fire from South Texans, who have raised alarms over Starship test launches they say have caused their homes to shake and flung debris such as concrete chunks and stainless steel sheets around the launch site.
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