A vast swamp in southeast Georgia may soon join the ranks of the Grand Canyon and Statue of Liberty, if former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue gets his way. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is now at the center of a bipartisan push for World Heritage status, the AP reports. Perdue, a two-term Georgia governor who served as agriculture secretary during President Trump's first term, is urging the Trump administration to support adding the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The federally protected refuge was nominated during the Biden administration.
Perdue sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum earlier this month, calling the move "an extraordinary opportunity to preserve a national treasure while also delivering incredible economic benefits to the state of Georgia." Perdue said, "This designation is not a partisan issue. By supporting this effort, we can ensure the Okefenokee's legacy as a natural wonder while fostering growth and prosperity for the communities surrounding it." The Savannah Morning News reports that the letter didn't mention the controversy surrounding plans to mine minerals just outside the refuge.
The mining project has yet to receive final permits. Opponents of the project, who say it could case irreparable damage to one of the world's last intact blackwater swamps, believe Perdue's clout in the state—he is currently chancellor of the University System of Georgia—could influence the decision. The Okefenokee refuge is the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, spanning more than 400,000 acres near the Florida state line. It was first listed as a "tentative" UNESCO nominee in 1982. If it is designated as a World Heritage site, it will become the 27th in the US. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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