U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, and U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter want to make the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The lawmakers are urging the U.S. Interior Department to nominate the Okefenokee Refuge for the honor, a crucial step in getting considered by UNESCO.
U.S. Sen. Reverend Raphael Warnock and Reps. Sanford Bishop, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Lucy McBath and David Scott, all Democrats, have joined in the request.
“A UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge would encourage environmental protection and economic prosperity for the region. It would support efforts to protect and preserve the Refuge’s natural and cultural resources and further important scientific exploration and analysis,” the Georgia lawmakers wrote in a letter.
The Okefenokee holds significant cultural importance to Native American tribes, including the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The Refuge contains at least 74 Native American mounds and is in the process of being recognized as a Traditional Cultural Property for its relevance to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s culture.
The Refuge was first placed on the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List in 2008 and recommended for a World Heritage Site designation.