Finding of No Significant Impact - boca Chica Land Exchange 2026

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will exchange 715 acres of Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (LRGVNWR) lands for 683 acres of privately owned land held by the Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX). The exchange will consolidate fragmented refuge holdings, reduce land use conflicts, and enhance long-term conservation of high-value habitats within the LRGVNWR and/or the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR). The Proposed Action was analyzed in the Environmental Assessment (EA) for Lower Rio Grande Valley and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuges Boca Chica Land Exchange. Based on review and evaluation of the EA and associated documentation, the Service has determined that implementing the Boca Chica Land Exchange does not constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of NEPA. An Environmental Impact Statement is therefore not required.