At a bait shop in Vermilion Parish, La., owner Seth Chapman has kept an informal poll on SpaceX's plans to build a rocket complex nearby. By last week, "yes" votes topped 100, beating 72 opposed, reflecting local divisions over the project on a coastal stretch known for duck hunting and fishing.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry detailed the plan Tuesday in Abbeville, saying SpaceX will commit $100 billion in capital investment and create at least 3,000 permanent jobs. CEO Elon Musk, in a prerecorded video, called the site "Starbase, Louisiana," adding it would host over a dozen launch sites with up to 30 Starship flights a day.

Some residents, especially near Pecan Island, fear harm to wildlife and displacement from ancestral lands. Others hope for economic revival. Chapman, 33, supports Musk, believing launches may scare ducks but boost the local economy. Beatrice Bagwell, 74, whose family has lived on a 240-acre compound for four generations, cried at the thought of leaving.

SpaceX aims for the first Starship flight from the site in 2029, supported by power generation, shipping infrastructure, and possible airport. President Gwynne Shotwell said birds may fly away but will return, and the company will partner on conservation. The project has been discussed for months, with white "X"s painted on roads as an early sign.