The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has finalized a decision to expand the acquisition boundary of the 407,000-acre Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Georgia by 22,000 acres. This means the agency can now negotiate to purchase lands within the expanded boundary to be added to the refuge, which protects one of the world’s largest intact blackwater swamp ecosystems. This victory belongs to you! During the FWS’s Fall 2024 public comment period on the expansion, Wilderness Watch members and supporters sent in nearly 11,000 comments—more than one-third of the approximately 30,000 public comments received. Thank you for speaking up for the Okefenokee Wilderness and NWR! The expansion includes lands currently held by Twin Pines Minerals, which is seeking permits for an 8,000-acre titanium and zirconium strip mine on the Okefenokee’s eastern edge. This proposed mine would be located on Trail Ridge, a geological formation that holds back the waters of the Okefenokee. The proposed mine, which could impact thousands of acres of wetlands, threatens the hydrological integrity of the entire Okefenokee Swamp. Wilderness Watch members and supporters have sent more than 65,000 emails to federal and state agencies, urging them to reject the mine and the dangerous impacts it could have on wildlife, the refuge, and the Okefenokee Wilderness. Nearly 90 percent of the refuge—353,981 acres—makes up the Okefenokee Wilderness, which is one of the largest Wilderness areas in the East and important habitat for native wildlife such as black bears, American alligators, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. The Okefenokee is a National Natural Landmark, a Wetland of International Importance, and is listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now, the approved expansion will help the FWS better preserve the Okefenokee and its wilderness values like solitude, silence, and remoteness. The FWS should move forward by negotiating the purchase of Twin Pines Minerals’ lands and mineral rights, putting an end to the threat its proposed mine poses. Thank you for making a difference for the Okefenokee Wilderness, the Okefenokee NWR, and wildlife! |
