It's Okefenokee Swamp Day
Photo credit: Savannah Morning News, The Island Packet
Governor Brian Kemp has declared February 8, 2022 as Okefenokee Swamp Day. The Okefenokee Swamp, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia, is the largest blackwater swamp in North America at over 400,000 acres. This beautiful ecosystem is under threat due to a mining proposal from Twin Pines Mining LLC, and we must protect the swamp. The Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge offers a variety of opportunities for adventure - including airboat tours and self-guided paddling tours, and camping.
“With its varied habitats, the Okefenokee has become an area known for its abundance of plants and animals. There are over 620 species of plants growing in the swamp. Animals include 39 fish, 37 amphibians, 64 reptiles, 234 birds, and 50 mammal species.” —U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
In 2021, GIPL circulated a letter to clergy, included below. Over 100 Georgia clergy members of all faiths signed on, and the letter was sent to Governor Brian Kemp, Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and the Charlton County Commissioners: Mr. James E. Everett, Mrs. Alpha Benefield, Mr. Jesse Crews, Mr. Drew Jones, and Mr. Lucas “Luke” Gowen. Read to the end to find out ways YOU can take action today to help protect the Okefenokee Swamp.
As religious leaders representing a variety of faith traditions and backgrounds, we share a commitment to be good stewards of Creation. Our sacred texts and faith traditions call us to protect the natural resources which have been gifted to us and to love our neighbor by addressing the environmental injustices that impact our communities. When Creation is disrupted by development and industry, both the land itself and the communities who depend on it suffer. As people of faith, our call to seek justice requires us to engage in faithful environmental action.
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has deep roots in Georgia's culture and is one of the state's Seven Natural Wonders. For generations, Georgians have depended on—and profited from—its continued health. The refuge is in the country's top ten in terms of economic output and has garnered international attention, with the swamp projected to become a World Heritage Site. Furthermore, as the swamp is unique to the environment, it is a uniquely holy and sacred space. It is one of the state's Seven Natural Wonders only because it is one of God's own Natural Wonders and a truly unique expression of God reflected in the natural world.
Unfortunately, the Okefenokee is unsafe and threatened by industry, with Twin Pines Minerals seeking to develop a titanium mine atop the earthen dam that holds the swamp in place. Twin Pines plans to mine roughly 8,000 acres near the refuge's eastern boundary and their operations will eventually come within 400-feet of the swamp. Decades ago, the DuPont corporation tried to establish a similar mine, to no avail. Since that project was shelved, tourism has steadily increased, and the refuge now records 600,000 annual visits and supports hundreds of jobs. The Okefenokee is also renowned for its biological diversity and provides unmeasured natural value for Georgia as it shelters and supports thousands of species in its cypress forests, pine islands, lily ponds, and blackwater channels. Should mining proceed, the refuge—and the benefits it provides to people and wildlife—could be destroyed, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division now holds the only permits required for this project to move forward. This project has been uniformly opposed by Georgians, as well as the larger American public. Tens of thousands of people voiced their alarm during recent comment periods. Together, representing faith communities across Georgia, we join our voices in opposition to the titanium mining which would damage Creation and put at risk the wildlife and communities who depend on the swamp's unspoiled habitats.
As people of faith, our values call us to seek justice for our neighbors and care for the Earth. The proposed desecration of the Okefenokee Swamp cannot be permitted. Our faith inspires us to boldly proclaim our opposition to this project as we advocate for just policies and practices that allow for all of Creation to thrive. Stand with us to protect God's Creation by protecting the Okefenokee Swamp and by calling for the rejection of any permits that would allow mining less than three miles from the boundary of the Okefenokee Swamp and refuge.
There are two great ways to engage with Okefenokee protection right now!
Tell your legislators to support HB 1289 which will provide legislation to protect the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. https://www.protectgeorgia.org/#/
Watch “Sacred Waters: The Okefenokee in Peril” with your faith community. This short documentary, released in October 2021 by the Okefenokee Protection Alliance, “...takes viewers into the heart of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, showcasing its mystical natural beauty, cultural importance, and incredible ecological value. But, as the title of the film sets forth, the sacred waters of the Okefenokee are in peril. The threat of a proposed heavy mineral sands mine near the edge of the Okefenokee looms large, putting the natural integrity of the Swamp at risk. As Sacred Waters brings us deeper into the Okefenokee, we understand how great this threat truly is.” Watch it here: https://protectokefenokee.org/documentary/ and have a GIPL staff member offer a follow-up discussion with your faith community.