Proposed Okefenokee NWR expansion to include TiO2 miners’ land and more 2024-10-18

Update 2024-10-24: The date of the public meeting is now Nov. 12, changed from the originally published date of Oct. 29.

Here’s a facebook event to remind you:
https://www.facebook.com/events/556272616789217/

Update 2024-10-18: Miner president says he was not contacted.

Here’s one answer to who can afford to buy the land from the miners: the U.S. federal government.

[Okefenokee NWR Expansion 2024-10-18 Including TiO2 Mine site]
Okefenokee NWR Expansion 2024-10-18 Including TiO2 Mine site

Leslie Hull-Ryde, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, October 18, 2024, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is Seeking Public Input on Proposal for Minor Expansion of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Boundary: Proposal designed to enable voluntary actions to protect hydrological integrity, conserve wetlands and key wildlife habitat, and create fuel reduction zone to help protect neighboring properties.

The Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal that would expand the boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, adding approximately 22,000 acres adjacent to the existing refuge. The Service is seeking public input on the proposal.

If adopted, the proposed minor boundary expansion would enable the Service to work with willing landowners to explore voluntary conservation actions, including potential acquisition, that would further protect the refuge’s globally significant freshwater wetland system and wildlife habitat.

The proposed expansion includes lands currently held by Twin Pines Minerals, LLC as well as a one-mile fuel reduction zone adjacent to the refuge. Conservation actions on the lands within the proposed boundary expansion would strengthen protection of the hydrological integrity of the swamp, help provide habitat for the gopher tortoise, mitigate impacts of wildfires and more severe and longer-lasting droughts and provide opportunities for longleaf pine restoration to benefit the red-cockaded woodpecker. The creation of a one-mile fuel reduction zone adjacent to the refuge is supported by state and federal partners.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Mary’s rivers. ¯The refuge provides habitat for threatened and endangered species. ¯ It is world renowned for its amphibian populations, which are bio-indicators tors of global health. The refuge has 353,981 acres of National Wilderness Area within the refuge boundaries. Additionally, it is a Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR Convention — 1971) due to the Okefenokee Swamp’s global significance, receiving over 400,000 annual visits, with 10% from international guests from over 46 different countries.

The public may submit input by Nov. 18, 2024 via email to Okefenokee@fws.gov. Additionally, a public meeting will be held Oct. 29, Nov. 12 2024, from 6:30 — 8 p.m. at the Charlton County Annex Auditorium, 68 Kingsland Drive, Folkston, Georgia.

For more information on the possible expansion, including frequently asked questions, a map, and the effort to gather public interest, go to https://www.fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee.

Notice this expansion is for other reasons, and happens to include the miners’ lands.

There is a slight catch, spelled out in FAQ #8,“The Service only acquires land from property owners who are interested and willing to sell their property. If the expansion is adopted, the Service will develop a plan that outlines proposed acreage the Service would be interested in buying should landowners voluntarily decide they are willing to sell property.”

However, it seems unlikely that this plan would be being proposed now unless there was some likelihood that the landowners would be willing to sell. As near as I can tell, the pink purchase rectangle in the east is also

The big acquisition is in the southeast, of all of the land currently owned by the miners, under the name Trail Ridge Land, LLC. Plus a tongue to the west, all the way to the St. Marys River, owned by Rayonier Forest Resources, L.P. C/O Rayonier Atlantic Timber Co.

Almost as interesting is the orange easement line heading north from the pink tongue. That’s mostly on land owned by Toledo MNFG Company, whose CEO and CFO is Alva J. Hopkins, III, a well-known mining enthusiast. He reads everything about himself (hi, there!).

That little pink divot in the southwest is in Columbia County, Florida, and appears to be owned by JW Langdale Company of Valdosta, GA. It may extend far enough south to include some land owned by Langdale Forestry Company LLC, also of Valdosta.

It’s hard to parse the orange easement line east of Fargo, because it ends at GA 94, and also before it gets to the Suwannee River. A number of landowners may be involved.

The orange line west of the Suwannee River north of Fargo has to include land owned by Superior Pine Products Co.

The pink purchase bulge due west looks to be currently owned by Rayonier Forest Resources LP, as does much of the land inside the nearby orange easement area, and many of the other pink areas around the northwest side.

The pink purchase rectangle in the east appears also to be Rayonier land, between big parcels owned by Conservation Fund C/O Forest Investments Inc. That will expand the black Approved Acquisition Boundary to be a shorter line.

USFWS FAQ

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Minor Expansion Plan
Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What action is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service taking on Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge?

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region is seeking public input on a proposal to expand its boundary around Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. An expansion, if adopted, would enable the Service to work with willing landowners to explore voluntary conservation actions, including partnerships or land acquisitions.

  2. What are the goals of this action?

    The goals of the expansion include establishing a fuel reduction zone around the refuge to prevent the spread of wildfire to neighboring homes and communities; strengthening protection of hydrological integrity of the swamp; and providing opportunities to restore longleaf pine habitat supporting the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and other species, such as the state-protected gopher tortoise.

  3. What does scoping mean?

    Public scoping involves gathering information, identifying potential issues, and defining the scope of work needed to develop a detailed project plan.

  4. What is a fuel reduction zone?

    A fuel reduction zone will help protect people and property during wildfire season by lessening the chances of a wildfire escaping the refuge boundary. It includes areas where vegetation and other materials that can catch fire (like downed limbs, dead trees, dry leaves, grasses, or other dry flammable plants) are managed to lower the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The goal is to create a safe area around homes, communities, and other habitats that make it harder for fires to spread. This effort is supported by state and federal partners.

  5. What is the definition of a “minor expansion”?

    A National Wildlife Refuge Minor Expansion is an action that expands refuge boundaries by up to 15%, allowing for manageable changes to a national wildlife refuge. Minor Expansions can involve adding new areas of land adjacent to the existing refuge boundary, improving habitats, or enhancing visitor facilities, all aimed at better protecting wildlife and their environments.

  6. Why is the Service considering this expansion now?

    Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Southeast Conservation Blueprint, which is an adaptive plan aimed at identifying important areas for connecting lands and waters to support healthy fish and wildlife populations, as well as improving people’s quality of life. If adopted, the expansion will help meet the objectives of the Blueprint by protecting the hydrology of the swamp and advancing species recovery. The expanded lands may also offer priority public uses such as hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and education to the more than 400,000 annual visitors driving a growing ecotourism economy within the community.

  7. Would a minor expansion have an impact on the nomination for the Refuge to become a World Heritage Site?

    No, the expansion would neither help nor deter any consideration to become a World Heritage Site. In addition, future inclusion as a World Heritage Site would not affect management of the refuge.

  8. How does the Refuge acquire additional lands?

    The Service only acquires land from property owners who are interested and willing to sell their property. If the expansion is adopted, the Service will develop a plan that outlines proposed acreage the Service would be interested in buying should landowners voluntarily decide they are willing to sell property.

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[Scoping map for minor expansion proposal of okefenokee NWR]
Scoping map for minor expansion proposal of okefenokee NWR
PDF

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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