The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has been named a World Heritage Site, marking the first such site in Georgia and the 27th in the United States.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO, grants WHS status to places of significance, including cultural and historical landmarks. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has been on a temporary list for gaining this status since 2007.
The World Heritage designation places the Okefenokee alongside global landmarks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. The Okefenokee is the first National Wildlife Refuge in the United States to receive the prestigious designation.
“The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a fixture of Georgia’s First Congressional District and is deserving of this distinction,” U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Georgia, said in a statement. “No one loves the environment more than South Georgians, and we are eager to share the Okefenokee Swamp’s beauty with the rest of the world so that we can continue to appreciate and preserve this landmark, and the private property rights around it, for generations to come.”
Carter introduced a resolution in June 2023 to name the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a World Heritage site.
In September 2023, the National Park Service announced it intended to nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list, and then in December 2024, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it would nominate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
“The Okefenokee is an irreplaceable natural treasure in our state, and this significant designation will help protect this renowned natural treasure for generations to come, promote tourism, and support Southeast Georgia’s economic growth,” U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, said in a statement.
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