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Anne Zuparko
Director of Marketing and Communications
The Nature Conservancy in Texas
Email: azuparko@TNC.ORG
The Nature Conservancy in Texas continues to request a complete Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the full scope of impacts that SpaceX’s facilities expansion has had and may have on Boca Chica’s unique and productive natural environments.
South Texas is a conservation priority for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). TNC has partnered with government agencies and local groups for more than 30 years to conserve land at Boca Chica—one of the most sensitive natural areas in the state of Texas and the southwestern United States.
Boca Chica sits at the intersection of the Rio Grande, the region’s largest river, and the Laguna Madre, the world’s largest hypersaline bay system, which creates a habitat mosaic of expansive wetlands, coastal prairies, Tamaulipan thornscrub, barrier island dune grasslands, wind-tidal flats and Gulf beaches. It is also home to federally endangered species including piping plovers, red knots, sea turtles and occasional ocelots. The lower Laguna Madre is also vital habitat for migrating shorebirds and wintering raptors.
The species and ecosystems adjacent to the Boca Chica facility are some of the rarest on this planet and deserve due consideration—including detailed planning for mitigation and monitoring and assurance of proper oversight and follow through by responsible parties and/or agencies—to ensure the continued survival of these vital species and habitats.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 76 countries and territories—37 by direct conservation impact and 39 through partners—we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
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Ocelots were once found across much of the Lone Star State, but today, fewer than 100 of these wild cats are thought to survive in the United States, roaming between south Texas and Mexico.
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