NASA ceremonially transferred ownership of roughly 105 acres of wooded land at its Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to the adjoining Patuxent Research Refuge on Tuesday. The property, previously known as NASA Goddard's Area 400, is now part of the largest block of unfragmented forest between major urban areas.
The land was handed over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the Patuxent Research Refuge. The transfer expands a critical wildlife corridor and preserves forest habitat that supports diverse species, including migratory birds and rare plants.
The move aligns with federal conservation goals and highlights NASA's commitment to environmental stewardship beyond its space missions. The site had been undeveloped and was used for limited research purposes before the transfer.
Patuxent Research Refuge, established in 1936, is the only national wildlife refuge in the United States focused on wildlife research. The addition of the NASA parcel strengthens its role as a living laboratory for ecological studies.
No financial terms of the transfer were disclosed, and the land will be managed exclusively for conservation and research going forward. The agreement took several years of coordination between the two agencies.