Sen. Ossoff Announces Progress to Expand Protections for Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge

Folkston, Ga.— Following U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’spush, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)announcedprogress to expand protections of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
Today, FWSannouncedthe agency will expand the Refuge’s approved acquisition boundary, a key step to strengthen protections of the Refuge.
According to FWS, this expansion will enable the agency to work with willing landowners to explore voluntary conservation actions, including partnerships, conservation easements, or fee-title land acquisitions.
Last month, Sen. Ossoffbackedthe Federal proposal to expand the acquisition boundary by 22,000 acres.
“It is vitally important that we continue to protect the Okefenokee Swamp and its irreplaceable ecosystem that is an economic driver for our state and a cherished treasure for millions of Georgians,”Sen. Ossoffwroteto FWS Southeast Regional Director Mike Oetker last month as part of the public comment period for the proposed expansion.
The expansion of the Refuge’s boundary aims to strengthen the protection of the swamp’s water systems, support wildlife recovery, and may allow activities like hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and education, according to FWS. The expansion will also create a one-mile buffer zone to reduce wildfire risks for nearby homes and communities.
The Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America. It contains a National Wildlife Refuge and U.S. Wilderness Area and is one of Georgia’s top sites for outdoor recreation and tourism,drawingmore than 600,000 visitors per year, and one of Georgia’s most beloved and environmentally significant wild places.
The Okefenokee also holds significant cultural importance to Native American tribes, including the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The Refuge contains at least 74 Native American mounds.
Sen. Ossoff continues his strong advocacy to protect the Okefenokee.
Last month, following Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan push, the U.S. Department of the Interiorannouncedthat it will nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Last April, Sen. Ossoff submitted apublic commentto the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) opposing permits for a strip mine near the Okefenokee during the agency’s public comment period.
In October 2023, Sen. Ossoffdelivereda $1.6 million Federal grant through the Land and Water Conservation Fund to improve safety and connectivity within the park, while also taking steps to improve preservation measures at the campgrounds within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
In September 2023, following Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan push, the National Park Serviceannouncedit intended to nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.
Citing warnings from leading scientists and experts, Sen. Ossoffsubmittedin February 2023 his formal opposition to the proposed strip mine next to the Okefenokee Swamp during a public comment period.
In September 2022, at Sen. Ossoff’s invitation, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joined him tosurveythe Refuge and meet with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials on the Refuge’s conservation status and environmental risks. They also heard directly from local leaders about the importance of protecting the Refuge for the communities in the area.
Click hereto read the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement.
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