Today, NASA completed the ceremonial handoff of a parcel of land known as Area 400 near its Goddard Space Flight Center campus in Maryland. The region is now officially part of the Patuxent Research Refuge, managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“For over six decades, NASA Goddard has helped shape humanity’s understanding of Earth,” said Jamie Dunn, NASA Goddard’s center director. “We’re glad to present this land to our colleagues in the Fish and Wildlife Service, whose conservation and research helps do the real legwork in preserving our Blue Marble for future generations.”

Area 400 contains 103 acres that NASA previously used for propellant research. With those tasks shifting to other facilities and partners, it had been earmarked for sale. Due to its adjacency to the refuge, the US Fish and Wildlife Service began talks with NASA about a possible transfer beginning in 2021.

Concerns about the ownership of this parcel of land date back almost that long. Environmental advocates and some government agencies raised concerns as early as 2022 about the potential consequences to the refuge if Area 400 were to be sold to a developer. Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, Patuxent Research Refuge contains 13,000 acres and is the only US wildlife refuge that was created for scientific study. It supports wildlife conservation efforts as well as offering recreational activities for visitors.