U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, is backing a proposed expansion of the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge.
Ossoff voiced his support during the public comment period with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is considering a proposal to expand the boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by adding approximately 22,000 acres adjacent to the existing Refuge.
The Fish & Wildlife Service is seeking public input on the proposal through Friday, December 13.
“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,” Ossoff wrote to FWS Southeast Regional Director Mike Oetker.
“Importantly, this proposed expansion would preserve private property rights by enabling FWS to ‘work with willing landowners to explore voluntary conservation, including potential acquisition, that would further protect the refuge’s globally significant freshwater wetland system and wildlife habitat,’” Ossoff added. “Given the importance of protecting the Okefenokee to my State, our Nation, and future generations, I strongly support the FWS proposed boundary expansion.”
The Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America. It is also a National Wildlife Refuge and a U.S. Wilderness Area.
The swamp is one of Georgia’s top outdoor recreation and tourism sites, drawing more than 600,000 visitors per year. It is also one of Georgia’s most beloved and environmentally significant wild places.
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