FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 4, 2024
Contact: Bekah Hinojosa, bekahbot@gmail.com at 956-975-6634 or anothergulfispossible@gmail.com
Rio Grande Valley Organizations Oppose Texas Parks & Wildlife Allowing SpaceX’s Land Grab
BROWNSVILLE, TX. – This morning, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) approved a resolution that would allow SpaceX to increase its size and scale of operations by acquiring more of Boca Chica Beach. Rio Grande Valley organizations condemn TPWD for allowing a land grab of Boca Chica Beach for a private space corporation that is clearly not in the public interest.
For years, Rio Grande Valley residents have been outspoken about SpaceX’s routine operations cutting off access to Boca Chica beach from local families from fishing, preventing the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe from accessing sacred lands for ceremonies, destroying more than 60 acres of wildlife habitat for threatened and endangered species and threatening public safety with rocket shrapnel blown into the community. Rio Grande Valley organizations signed a letter to TPWD opposing the resolution yesterday.
In response, Christopher Basaldú, with South Texas Environmental Justice Network, issued the following statement:
“We are saddened by this decision but not surprised that, once again, a large corporation has been prioritized over the directly impacted local residents. Boca Chica Beach is one of the last pieces of untouched coastline left in Texas, the rest being under threat of environmental damage due to oil and gas export projects. It is also incredibly disappointing to see that sacred land to the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas is being sold and destroyed without even consulting the Tribe to begin with. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department needs to take the concerns of the local community seriously and help preserve our beach rather than sell it off to the highest bidder.”
In response, Michelle Serrano, with Voces Unidas RGV, issued the following statement:
“It is up to the community to stand up for the land in this time of great uncertainty. With the majority of our Texas coast under fossil fuel control, any additional loss to industrial manufacturing and retail investments threaten invaluable resources like Boca Chica Beach’s South Bay and the surrounding area. We believe that our coastal ecosystems remain interdependent on our actions, and any action we can take to preserve the integrity of these delicate ecosystems benefits our communities, our biodiversity, and the world.”
In response, Gloria Thomas, with Democratic Socialists of America – RGV, issued the following statement:
“It is disappointing to see an agency with the duty to protect wildlife, especially such a critical habitat such as Boca Chica beach, which is home to several endangered species, migratory birds, and unique habitats such as lomas. This land needs more protection than ever from fossil fuel industries and destructive industries like SpaceX, which are threatening wildlife in this region right now. No amount of land conserved elsewhere would protect Boca Chica from being destroyed by SpaceX and LNG facilities. This is a clear violation of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to protect wildlife, and very blatantly catering to the needs of polluting industries.”
In response, Yasmine Cardoza, with Divest/Invest RGV, issued the following statement:
“Divest/Invest RGV does not support this proposal for Texas Parks and Wildlife to remove protection for Boca Chica in exchange for acquiring other lands for conservation. Boca Chica is a vital part of the ecosystem and the community. It’s home to critically endangered species and unique habitats for South Texas. Boca Chica has been a space for families and the community to experience nature and a part of the culture for generations. It is also scared lands of the original peoples of Texas, the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe. Boca Chica is a place for religious ceremonies and is an integrated part of Indigenous history. With the onset of SpaceX operations, Boca Chica has been increasingly militarized by SpaceX security and border patrol. What was once a safe space to gather and celebrate became a place where families could be criminalized.”
In response, Emma Guevara, a Brownsville field organizer for Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“The state is trying to dangle the idea that much more acreage is a great deal for the public, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Many of us have such important ties to this land and have for generations, but the Parks Department didn’t even engage us before its staff decided to recommend approving the proposal. It said that the increased acreage would enable more public recreation, but it didn’t ask us if people in the community would be willing to give up their beach in exchange. We are also a majority Spanish-speaking community, and the notices were rushed and only in English. This is the opposite of community engagement, not to mention that the bad deal sets an extremely dangerous precedent for the government to take beloved public land away from the community and give it to a private corporation that has a history of harming the environment and wildlife.”
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Background: Residents and organizations from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas have spoken up about the environmental harms of SpaceX operations in their community. SpaceX has routinely closed beach access for long-time fisherman families, scorched the wildlife refuge, and threatened the health and safety of the community with explosions.