https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/03/spacex-starbase-expansion-plans-will-harm-endangered-species-fws.htmlThe Piping Plover is a tiny little bird that lives on the Gulf Coast during its southern migration, then returns north to the Plains for its northern migration.
Some eggheads did a visual count, driving a truck around, and somehow think that works as an authoritative means of counting all the birds in the area. Their results are that the Boca Chica area has gone from about 340 of this bird present, down to about 140, over the three year period that SpaceX has been active at Starbase.
They're taking it that the birds are dead, as a result of SpaceX, rather than relocated due to the nuisance of the factory noise and intermittent low altitude launches. Nevermind there hasn't been a launch in over a year, since SN15 landed propulsively and they've been waiting on FAA approval to launch a full stack.
Nevermind that Boca Chica was a quad and 4x4 and dirtbike mecca, and it was a pretty regular occurrence to find out that some quad rider crushed an endangered turtle's head while jumping dunes or such. And all that behavior is gone now that SpaceX is a major high security land holder with a large property exclusion zone. Nevermind that Cape Canaveral functions as a significant nature preserve for Florida, and Boca could as well.
The net result is a mitigated approval from FWS requiring SpaceX to perform some wildlife protection measures to mitigate the impact on this bird, and maybe restrict launches during sensitive times. We'll see how this plays out with the overall FAA potential FONSI approval.