Take action: Help save the Okefenokee Swamp from mining COMMENT BEFORE NOV. 18

 

The Okefenokee Swamp, in the southeastern corner of Georgia, is a gem of biodiversity, providing lush, marshy habitat for some of our nation's rarest animals. But a proposed titanium mine risks the loss of hundreds of acres of that habitat.1 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) just opened a public comment period on a proposal that would expand the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge by 22,000 acres and create new options for stopping the mine. Submit your comment before it closes on Nov. 18: Protect the Okefenokee Swamp. The Twin Pines mine would roll the dice on more than 475 acres of wetlands, threatening important habitat for the hundreds of species that call the swamp home -- from owls and frogs to alligators and black bears.2,3 The mine could even increase the likelihood of droughts and wildfires by lowering water levels in the swamp.4 All around, this mine could be a disaster. The FWS's proposal wouldn't stop the mine from being built outright. But it would open up new possibilities for purchasing the land that the mine would be built on. It could also expand critical wildlife habitat for the diverse array of creatures that rely on the swamp for survival.5 The Okefenokee Swamp needs our protection. Submit your comment supporting the FWS's proposal to expand the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Wetlands like the Okefenokee Swamp are critical to the overall health of our environment. They provide drinking water, protect against floods, and naturally filter sediment. And even though they cover only about 5% of land in the continental U.S., they're home to nearly a third of our plant species.6 Yet the frightening reality is that nearly half of the world's wetlands have been lost in the past century.7 We can't let that happen to the Okefenokee Swamp. Make your voice heard before the FWS's comment period closes. Protect the Okefenokee Swamp. Thank you, Lisa Frank Executive Director 1. Ellen Montgomery, Jennette Gayer, "5 reasons why a titanium mine near the Okefenokee Swamp is a terrible idea," Environment America, March 21, 2023. 2. Ellen Montgomery, Jennette Gayer, "5 reasons why a titanium mine near the Okefenokee Swamp is a terrible idea," Environment America, March 21, 2023. 3. "5 Fantastic Animals Found in the Okefenokee Swamp," U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, May 6, 2024. 4. Ellen Montgomery, Jennette Gayer, "5 reasons why a titanium mine near the Okefenokee Swamp is a terrible idea," Environment America, March 21, 2023. 5. "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is Seeking Public Input on Proposal for Minor Expansion of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Boundary," U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, October 18, 2024. 6. Ellen Montgomery, Jennette Gayer, "5 reasons why a titanium mine near the Okefenokee Swamp is a terrible idea," Environment America, March 21, 2023. 7. "Half of all wetlands destroyed since 1900, report says," Phys.org, October 17, 2012.

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