A federal agency said Friday that it has approved a plan to expand the Okefenokee Swamp’s vast wildlife refuge, setting up a potential buyout offer for land intended for a private company’s mining project that conservationists have fought for years.
The plan approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could add 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares) along the boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest federal refuge east of the Mississippi River. The service manages the refuge and is part of the Interior Department.
“This minor expansion will help further conservation efforts for the swamp along with the threatened and endangered species that inhabit it,” Michael Lusk, the Okefenokee refuge manager, said in a news release.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
