Newspaper Page Text
SUSTAIN ABUT Y
Will Georgia’s Republican leaders defend the
Okefenokee?
When the
conflict, turmoil,
and tragedy
around the world
becomes too
overwhelming—as
frequently happens
during these dark
days—I turn to
nature to help me
cope. Finding solace among trees, beside
moving water, and on park trails helps
relieve my stress and fears about the future
for the people and places I love.
I cannot completely turn away from
the troubles. I want to understand what is
happening in the world—with our fraught
politics, fragile democracy, and deteriorating
ecosystems. At the same time, I am learning
to live more in the present with gratitude
for simple pleasures and the sense of wonder
and awe that nature provides.
“It is not enough to fight for the land;
it’s even more important to enjoy it. While
you can. While it’s still here... Explore the
forests, climb the mountains, bag the peaks,
run the rivers,” wrote author and wilderness
defender Ed Abbey. I would add: spend time
in your local parks, walk regularly through
the seasons, and practice attentiveness to
nature’s lines, colors, smells, and details.
The Wild Heart of Georgia
At dusk in early November, I took a
boat ride in Georgia’s Okefenokee: the
largest swamp in North America, a national
wildlife refuge, a hub of local eco-tourism,
and a global treasure. Leaving man-made
structures and glaring lights behind, we
entered what is called “the wild heart of
Georgia.”
Lines of diagonal clouds in the mackerel
sky reflected the setting sun in shades of
pink and peach above the still, ink-colored
water. Silhouettes of tupelo and bald
cypress trees reached upward, pointing to
the beauty in the sky, as their reflections
pierced the black swamp water, extending
their majesty earthward. I breathed deeply,
inhaling the diversity and reciprocity of all
life. I felt calm and refreshed.
The next day, I listened to Michael Lusk,
the manager of the Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge, give a passionate and
science-based presentation about the need
to safeguard Trail Ridge: a 100-mile-long
remnant of a Pleistocene barrier island
system that holds the 10,000-year-old
swamp in place. On Lusk’s map, the sandy
ridge on the eastern edge of the Okefenokee
looks like out-stretched arms: a sort of
“geologic grandmother” protecting the
wetland ecosystem from harm.
Mining Threat
Mining companies have long sought
to establish stripping operations in and
near Trail Ridge to extract minerals for
sale worldwide. In the 1990s, DuPont
Corporation proposed a titanium mine;
however, when Georgia’s leaders spoke
out against the plan, the company
withdrew its proposal. More recently, Twin
Pines Minerals applied to the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division (EPD)
for permits to mine titanium at a 775-
acre “demonstration” site and withdraw
millions of gallons of groundwater: a plan
that threatens the Okefenokee and tourism-
related jobs in the area.
Notably, Twin Pines falsely claimed
property rights on land held by another
private property owner in its permit
applications. Companies affiliated with
Twin Pines have caused pollution problems
in north Georgia where they burned
creosote-soaked wood and at facilities in
North Carolina and Florida. Put simply,
a bad-actor company wants permission to
disrupt the land and hydrology adjacent to
an international treasure.
What could go wrong? Everything, say
scientific experts.
Studies conclude that the Twin
Pines project is “likely to impact” the
Okefenokee, resulting in “the possibility
of permanently altering the hydrology” by
lowering water tables and disrupting the
natural flow of water. (Could this action
also constitute a legal taking of an essential
value—water—from this property held in
trust for all Americans since 1937?) Soil
stability in Trail Ridge could be “negatively
affected,” allowing leakage, and the swamp’s
ability to store carbon in its peat soils could
be reduced, worsening the climate crisis.
Solutions Stalled
The governor-appointed Georgia Board
of Natural Resources could advise EPD to
reject the Twin Pines application based on
multiple concerns. The fact that this board
has, thus far, failed to do so indicates that
Gov. Brian Kemp is not—yet—willing to
take reasonable, prudent steps to safeguard
the Okefenokee and its waters. What, or
who, is keeping Kemp from protecting this
Georgia-grown treasure? Why won’t he
support the tens of thousands of Georgians
who have repeatedly urged EPD to reject
the mining and groundwater applications?
Even if the Twin Pines plan is rejected,
or the company finds someone to pay it
not to mine (perhaps it’s Plan B, if not
Plan A), Trail Ridge and the Okefenokee
will remain vulnerable to future mining.
Again, a solution is available, but it has
been stymied by Republican leadership.
The Okefenokee Protection Act (FIB 71)
currently languishes in a FFouse committee
chaired by Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan),
although more than half of her FFouse
colleagues are co-sponsors of the bill: 65
Democrats and 29 Republicans. Why won’t
Rep. Smith allow a hearing and a vote?
FFB 71 is limited in scope but would
provide long-term protection for the
Okefenokee. It prevents future, risky
mining on a very specific, narrowly defined
area ofTrail Ridge. It does not affect
previously applied for permits, including
the one from Twin Pines that should be
rejected by EPD. The bill must pass both
the Georgia FFouse and Senate by the end
of the 2024 session next spring or it will
die. FFelp defend Georgia’s extraordinary
Okefenokee—a place of beauty, resilience,
and solace in our troubled world by urging
members of the General Assembly to pass
FFB 71.
What You Can Do
Learn more about FFB 71, the
Okefenokee, and whether your FFouse
member supports the bill at gawater.org/
okefenokee-swamp. Urge him/her to sign
on, if they are not a co-sponsor, and thank
them if they are. Write Gov. Kemp at The
Office of the Governor, 206 Washington
St. Suite 203, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA
30334.
ABOVETHE
WATERLINE
Sally Bethea
16 | DECEMBER 2023
RoughDraftAtlanta.com