From Sr. Bea Hernandez, JPIC Coordinator:
Please read the below information and if you support the protection of the Okefenokee Swamp, please sign on to the letter. You do not need to donate to sign the letter. However, the Wheaton Franciscan JPIC Office does donate annually to this wonderful organization. They do great advocacy work to try to protect our country’s precious natural resources.
The Okefenokee is the largest wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. It’s home to some of our country’s rarest animals, including the gopher tortoise, the wood stork, and the eastern indigo snake.(1)
We’re fighting to protect this wildlife habitat from a toxic mine.
A proposed titanium mine in Okefenokee’s backyard would spell disaster for wildlife. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division can cancel the mining permits, but they need to hear from us. (2)
Submit your comment: No titanium mine near the Okefenokee Swamp.
A titanium mine right next to the Okefenokee would have devastating consequences:
- The Twin Pines mine would destroy more than 300 acres of wetlands. (3)
- The proposed mine could siphon off water from the swamp, making the Okefenokee more likely to experience droughts and wildfire. (4)
- A titanium mine on the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp could pollute the homes of critical wildlife.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division says that the mine should have a “minimal impact” — despite all the evidence to the contrary.5 We need to generate as many comments as possible before the agency’s April 9 deadline to defend the Okefenokee.
We can’t let a toxic mine ruin the Okefenokee. Send a message today.
The Okefenokee is a treasured place for animals and humans alike.
Many animals that live in the Okefenokee wildlife refuge used to be threatened or endangered, but have since recovered — in part because their habitat was safeguarded. Preserving this place means that formerly threatened species, including the American alligator and the red-cockaded woodpecker, will have a place to call home for generations to come.
Thank you for taking action,
Wendy Wendlandt
President
1. “Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge – About Us,” U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, last accessed February 19, 2024.
2. Russ Bynum, “Proposed mine outside Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp nears approval despite environment damage concerns,” The Associated Press, February 9, 2024.
3. Hannah Northey, “Georgia regulators release plans for mine near Okefenokee,” E&E News, January 19, 2023.
4. Stanley Dunlap, “Times runs short for public to weigh in on state mining permit for edge of the Okefenokee Swamp,” Georgia Recorder, January 19, 2023.
5. Russ Bynum, “Proposed mine outside Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp nears approval despite environment damage concerns,” The Associated Press, February 9, 2024.
