In a vote set for next week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Commission will decide whether to entertain a land exchange between SpaceX and the state.
SpaceX is asking Texas for 43 acres of land at Boca Chica State Park in exchange for 477 acres of land near Laguna Vista and Laguna Heights. The land is part of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge’s Bahia Grande Unit. Cameron County property records say the land is owned by Bahia Grande Holdings, a business with an Austin address.
It’s unclear how SpaceX, the landowner and land are connected and how SpaceX can offer it to the state in an exchange deal.
Boca Chica State Park has been leasing the park to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as of late. SpaceX’s acreage request spans into several areas of the park, notably near the Starship launch pad and immediately east of Boca Chica Village.
TPWD staff are recommending the exchange deal go through, saying in a notice that it was in the best interest of the agency. TPWD says the 477 acres could give the public access to more recreational activity in the area.
TPWD is accepting public comments on the exchange deal until January 24.
