U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA 1) has introduced a resolution to name the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site (WHS). The designation would help to increase conservation and tourism to the unique ecosystem in south Georgia, as well as increase funding opportunities for area initiatives.
“The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a fixture of Georgia’s First Congressional District and is deserving of this distinction,” said Rep. Carter. “No one loves the environment more than south Georgians and we are eager to share the Okefenokee Swamp’s beauty with the rest of the world, so that we can continue to appreciate and preserve this landmark for generations to come.”
There are currently 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the U.S. but this would be the first in Georgia, with the closest one being Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. The designation is reserved for sites of cultural or historical significance and the Okefenokee has been on the list for consideration since 2007.
With recognized habitation since 2500 BC and an area that covers some 400,000 acres on the border with Florida, the Okefenokee hosts 400,00 visitors per year, a boon for tourism inland from the south Georgia coast. A report from the Fish and Wildlife Service estimated a nearly $65 million economic impact in 2019 from the refuge. The swamp is the largest blackwater swamp in North America, meaning a slow-moving river through forest swamps or wetlands.
These types of swamps are generally limited to very flat regions and thanks to the history of south Georgia as being underwater for a few million years, it is pretty flat – hence the “fall line” that separates the Piedmont region from the Coastal Plain. The unique flora and fauna that make up the Okefenokee and are such a draw to visitors are thanks to this unique ecosystem and are represented in the Okefenokee more than anywhere else in the country. Two significant rivers, the Suwannee and St. Marys, both find their headwaters in the swamp before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean respectively. The St. Marys serves as the Georgia-Florida border in that region of the state.
The push from Carter comes as the controversy over a proposed titanium mining operation continues to swirl. The area proposed for the mining is outside of the refuge but opponents have expressed concerns that the sensitive nature of the ecosystem would be disturbed by the operation. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff temporarily blocked the mine last year after a report from Fish and Wildlife warned of damage to the refuge but the decision comes down to Georgia regulators have left the door open to Twin Pines Minerals to prove their case that the mine would not interfere environmentally.
It remains to be seen whether its adoption as a WHS would impact the titanium mine approval, or vice versa, but a spotlight will remain on the region for some time on both fronts.
