ATLANTA — The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter is celebrating two pieces of good news in our efforts to protect the Okefenokee Swamp.
First, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) would be nominated to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. If it receives this designation, the Okefenokee would join a distinguished list of cultural and natural sites of significant importance, such as the Great Wall of China, Yellowstone National Park, the Galapagos Islands, and the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
Second, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which manages the Okefenokee NWR, announced that the agency has finalized its plan to expand the NWR’s boundaries by about 22,000 acres. The FWS will now begin to work with the owners of that acreage to explore potential acquisitions or conservation easements. The proposed expansion includes an area on the eastern edge of the Okefenokee Swamp where mining company Twin Pines Minerals seeks to establish a titanium mine, a project the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter has opposed since it was first proposed in 2019.
In response to these promising developments, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director G Webber (they/them) issued the following statement:
"At every level, the Okefenokee Swamp is recognized as one of the most unique and ecologically diverse natural places on this planet and deserves protection. Locally, polls show 60 percent of Georgians oppose mining on the swamp’s doorstep. Statewide, more than half the Georgia House of Representatives co-sponsored a bill in 2024 to give the Okefenokee long-term protection. The federal government recognizes the threats the Okefenokee faces and is seeking to expand the National Wildlife Refuge’s boundaries. And now internationally, the Okefenokee is being honored with UNESCO World Heritage designation.
"Georgians have been fighting this mining proposal for more than five years. Enough is enough: It’s long past time for the state regulators, the Georgia Legislature, Governor Kemp to find the courage to protect this critical ecosystem."
About the Sierra Club Georgia Chapter
The Sierra Club Georgia Chapter is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the state, with more than 75,000 members and supporters. The Chapter supports a robust outings program and has active committees working on forest and coastal protection, transit expansion, and clean energy. For more information, visit sierraclub.org/georgia.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit sierraclub.org.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Ricky Leroux, Communications Strategist
404-607-1262 ext. 234 | ricky.leroux@sierraclub.org