During the 1960s, the U.S. Federal Government acquired lands in Florida to be the primary space launch center along the East coast. For decades, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has worked with local, state, and federal partners; non-governmental agencies; and private industry to support successful space missions. As part of this collaboration, the Service has protected area wildlife and managed and protected the environmentally sensitive lands and waters near the Florida Space Coast Federal Complex. Space-related activity continues increasing in Florida, and the Service looks forward to collaborating with existing and new partners in the space industry. We remain committed to supporting space-related growth, while also cooperating on conservation efforts to address the effects of space-related activities on wildlife and their habitats.
The Service provides technical assistance and guidance to our partners in the space industry. Among other things, the Service consults under the Endangered Species Act during the Federal permitting process to determine whether commercial space activities may jeopardize the continued existence of any Endangered Species Act-listed species. The Service also coordinates directly with NASA, the U.S. Space Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other federal agencies during planning processes.
