A yearslong legal battle between Twin Pines Minerals and conservation groups over a planned mining facility adjacent to the Okefenokee Swamp finally came to a conclusion last year when the company sold the land to the Conservation Fund for $60M. Now the state is purchasing nearly 4,000 acres of that land, to be managed by the DNR as a “high-quality wildlife habitat” open to the public. Conservation groups praised the purchase, saying it will protect the Trail Ridge, an important line of ancient sand dunes that are important to the health of the swamp and its water table. The dunes are also rich in mineral deposits, which make them a juicy target for said mining companies.
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