The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established “� for the development, advancement, management, conservation, and protection of fish and wildlife resources…� 16 U.S.C. 742f(a)(4); “…for the benefit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in performing its activities and services�.
Refuge Seeks Public Comment on Draft Compatibility Determination for a Right-of-Way Permit for Road Pavement Improvement to the Massey Way Road Right-of-Way

The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) has prepared a Draft Compatibility Determination (CD) to issue a Right-of-Way Permit to SpaceX for the proposed road pavement improvement, entirely within the existing Massey Way Road Right-of-Way, in Cameron County, Texas. Approximately 0.8 miles of this road pavement improvement will be located on the refuge to exclusively within the Massey Way Road Right-of-Way. The Refuge seeks public input and comment on its Draft CD, available now for public review. 

The Draft CD can be found here. The public is encouraged to provide input by emailing to: Imer de la Garza, Project Leader for the South Texas Refuge Complex, e-mail [email protected]. *Please put “Public Input � Massey Way Road Pavement Improvement Permit CD� in the subject line of the e-mail. Comments will be accepted beginning June 16 until June 30, 2025.

Visit Us

Seven days a week from sunrise to sunset, you can enjoy the many destinations and observation decks on the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has nearly 40,000 acres open for you to enjoy wildlife-related activities, including wildlife watching, hiking, and wildlife photography. And additional 6,000 acres are open to hunting. 

Location and Contact Information

      Boca Chica Road Closures

      For real-time closure notices on Boca Chica Road, we ask that you text the word "Beach" to 866-513-3475 and subscribe to the texting service. Msg & Data Rates may apply. (This number does not belong to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service).

      About Us

      The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1979 with a management priority to protect biodiversity. As a wildlife corridor wildlife corridor
      To maintain healthy species populations and ecosystems, fish and wildlife need the freedom to move and migrate. As habitats and migration routes are affected by climate change and fragmented by roads, fences, energy development and other man-made barriers, wildlife struggle to reach necessary areas to feed, breed and find shelter. A wildlife corridor is a piece of undeveloped land connecting two habitats so wildlife can move safely between them.

      Learn more about wildlife corridor       , the refuge follows the Rio Grande along the last 275 river miles. It connects isolated tracts of land managed by private landowners, non-profit organizations, the State of Texas, and two other National Wildlife Refuges: Laguna Atascosa and Santa Ana. 

      What We Do

      Refuges use a wide range of land management tools based on the best science available. Some refuges use prescribed fires to mimic natural fires that would have cleared old vegetation from the land helping native plants regenerate and local wildlife to thrive. Other refuges contain Wilderness areas where land is largely managed in passively. The management tools used are aimed at ensuring a balanced conservation approach where both wildlife and people will benefit. 

      Our Species

      Known as the lower Rio Grande Valley, the lower four counties of Texas contain a documented 1,200 plants, 300 butterflies, and approximately 700 vertebrates, of which at least 520 are birds. The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect this important biodiversity.