Press Release | October 18, 2024

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes boundary expansion of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to include Trail Ridge

WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it is considering a proposed boundary expansion of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Georgia. The acquisition boundary expansion includes the proposed Twin Pines mine site, as well as other areas surrounding the Refuge.

Conservation actions on the lands within the proposed boundary expansion would strengthen protection of the hydrological integrity of the swamp, help provide habitat for the gopher tortoise, mitigate impacts of wildfires and more severe and longer-lasting droughts and provide opportunities for longleaf pine restoration to benefit the red-cockaded woodpecker, according to FWS.

Trail Ridge is the eastern rim of the Okefenokee and is critical to maintaining the sensitive ecology and hydrology of the Okefenokee Swamp and the St. Marys River. Both the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the St. Marys River are currently threatened by a reckless plan to mine nearly 8,000 acres along Trail Ridge.

In response Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Bill Sapp released the following statement:

“Without Trail Ridge, there is no Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge or St. Marys River. By proposing to expand the boundary, the Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledges Trail Ridge’s importance to the wildlife and habitat the refuge was created to protect. This is an exciting step towards giving Trail Ridge a distinction it rightfully deserves—a public land in our nation’s National Wildlife Refuge System. We applaud the Fish and Wildlife Service for its bold leadership and ongoing commitment to protecting this very special place.”

The public has the opportunity to submit comments on the proposed expansion of the refuge by November 18 via email to [email protected]. A public meeting on the proposal will be held November 12 from 6:30-8 PM at the Charlton County Annex Auditorium in Folkston, GA.

Click here to view FWS’s map of the proposed boundary expansion.

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Press Contacts

Emily Driscoll

Senior Communications Manager

Phone: 404-521-9900
Email: [email protected]