700-acres Texas wilderness is now in SpaceX’s reach
A federal judge in McAllen, Texas, has ruled against environmental groups seeking to halt a land swap involving 700 acres of wildlife refuge. The Trump administration's approval of the deal with SpaceX is set to move forward, despite the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction. The judge, Fernando Rodriguez Jr., found insufficient evidence that the proposed transaction would cause ecological harm to the already transformed Gulf Coast region.
The swap involves SpaceX trading 683 acres of its property for federal land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge, spanning 103,000 acres and located along the Texas border, is home to diverse animal habitats and historical landmarks. Environmental groups, including the Centre for Biological Diversity, have filed a lawsuit, arguing that the exchange would degrade the public's irreplaceable wildlife refuge.
SpaceX has not commented on the judge's decision, but the company has a history of rapid expansion in Texas.
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