Marietta Daisies Garden Club

VICTORY!

Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has finalized its plan to expand the

Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge!

The possible boundaries of the refuge have been expanded by 22,000 acres.

Most importantly, the new boundary contains the Trail Ridge dune, which protects the underground flow of water at the heart of the Okefenokee.

Protecting this area is critical to the refuge's future -- because, as one expert put it, "without Trail Ridge, there is no Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge."

We're proud to have been a part of the effort that secured these vital protections for the wetlands of the Okefenokee, and we couldn't have done it without supporters like you.

Environmental Action supporters submitted almost 13,000 comments to the FWS in support of the Okefenokee expansion -- and the agency listened.

Even more of this precious wilderness is now safe to thrive, along with all the incredible wildlife that call it home. The Okefenokee is a place where American alligators drift through the clear waters while blue herons rest in the shade of mossy cypress trees. It's a haven for the vulnerable gopher tortoise and red-cockaded woodpecker. And now, we can be more certain that it will stay that way.

Thank you for standing with us when we work to protect special places like the Okefenokee from mining and destruction, Rebecca. Campaigns like this wouldn't be possible without supporters like you -- and with you by our side, our next victory could be just around the corner.

Thank you,

The Environmental Action team

P.S. Want to do even more to help protect special wild places like the Okefenokee? Donate today to support all of Environmental Action's work.

1. "Minor Expansion of Acquisition Boundary," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, January 3, 2025.

2. "STATEMENT: Biden administration moves to expand Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge," Environment America, January 3, 2025.

3. Emily Jones, Marisa Mecke, and Molly Samuel, "Boundary expansion proposed for Okefenokee amid mining debate," WABE, October 18, 2024.

4. "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is Seeking Public Input on Proposal for Minor Expansion of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Boundary," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, October 18, 2024.