Following U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan push, the National Park Service announced today it intends to nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.
In February, Sen. Ossoff and Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-01) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers urging the National Park Service to nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list.
“A UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge would encourage environmental protection and economic prosperity for the region,” Sen. Ossoff said. “It would support efforts to protect and preserve the Refuge’s natural and cultural resources and further important scientific exploration and analysis. The nomination would also attract tourism and benefit the local and recreational economy and communities.”
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.
Citing warnings from leading scientists and experts, Sen. Ossoff submitted in February his formal opposition to the proposed strip mine next to the Okefenokee Swamp.
The Refuge was first placed on the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List in 2008 and recommended for a World Heritage Site designation.