Planned mining project near Okefenokee Swamp halted with sale to conservation group

After years of battles with conservationists, an Alabama company is abandoning its plan to mine outside Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp.

On Friday, The Conservation Fund announced that it will buy Twin Pines Minerals’ mine site near the border of one of the state's seven natural wonders, as well as the underlying mineral rights.

The backstory:

The Okefenokee is the largest U.S. refuge east of the Mississippi River, covering nearly 630 square miles in southeast Georgia. It is home to abundant alligators, stilt-legged wood storks and more than 400 other animal species.

Twin Pines of Birmingham, Alabama, had worked since 2019 to obtain permits to mine titanium dioxide, a pigment used to whiten products from paint to toothpaste, less than 3 miles from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee refuge near the Georgia-Florida line.

Trees are reflected in the water of the Okefenokee Swamp on March 15, 2024 in Folkston, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Last year, the project appeared on the cusp of winning final approval. Georgia regulators issued draft permits despite warnings from scientists that mining so close to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge could irreparably harm a national treasure.

Within days of the draft permits being approved, Georgia regulators informed Twin Pines in a letter that it needed to submit a $2 million bond, cash or letter of credit that can be used as needed to pay for restoration of the 820-acre site.

What they're saying:

Officials with the Southern Environmental Law Center and The Conservation Fund said the sale will help preserve the water levels and ecosystem health of the massive and wild part of Georgia.

"Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a special place and one of the most important natural treasures in Georgia. It’s the kind of place that sticks with us and sustains us — a destination for nature lovers and home to unique plants and wildlife like alligators, wood storks and bald eagles," said Stacy Funderburke, vice president of the central Southeast region at TCF. "By purchasing this land from Twin Pines, The Conservation Fund will ensure that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge remains wild and unspoiled for all Americans." 

Water lilies sit on top of the water at the Okefenokee Swamp, on March 15, 2024 in Folkston, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

"This is an incredibly special outcome and there is no place more deserving than the Okefenokee," said Megan Huynh, a senior attorney in SELC’s Georgia office. "Georgians sent a clear message to Twin Pines Minerals that mining next to the Okefenokee is an unacceptable risk. This wouldn’t have been possible without a powerful coalition, and regular Georgians who were willing to stand up and defend a place as beloved as the Okefenokee."

Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff called the plan "great news for all Georgians and our beloved natural treasure."

"For years, I’ve been sounding the alarm that strip mining near the Okefenokee Swamp poses irreversible damage to an irreplaceable natural resource," Ossoff said in a statement. "I will continue to champion efforts to protect Georgia’s beloved natural resources and beloved outdoor spaces."

What's next:

Last year, the Department of the Interior announced plans to nominate the swamp to join the UNESCO World Heritage List.

If designated, the refuge would join the list recognizing 1,223 cultural and natural sites of universal importance. Twenty-six are in the United States, including the Grand Canyon.