Georgia House Committee meeting on Okefenokee Bills Monday 1PM 2025-03-03

Monday at 1PM or after the House adjourns, the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee (HNRE) will meet to consider the two bills against mining near the Okefenokee Swamp.

This is the committee where previous bills have died. So this is a very important meeting. Please contact your Georgia Statehouse Representative.

Feel free to mention that many city councils and county commissions have passed resolutions supporting the Okefenokee Swamp against mining. And all the Riverkeepers of Georgia and Waterkeepers of Florida have written letters.
https://wwals.net/pictures/okefenokee-resolutions/

Floridians, please ask your Georgia friends, relatives, and business associates to do the same. And you can contact those Representatives directly. Part of the Okefenokee Swamp is in Florida, and all of it is upstream from Florida, on the St. Marys River and the Suwannee River, of the Florida state song.

To find your legislator (and see below):
http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

[Georgia House Committee Meeting 2025-03-03 1 PM, on Okefenokee Bills, Natural Resources and the Environment]
Georgia House Committee Meeting 2025-03-03 1 PM, on Okefenokee Bills, Natural Resources and the Environment

These are the bills:

More about those bills here:
https://wwals.net/?p=67055

Here is another place to register your support for the Okefenokee Swamp:
https://protectgeorgia.org/okefenokee/

[GWC Flyer]
GWC Flyer
PDF

Facebook event to remind you and others:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1333575764358362/

Plus you can vote for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as #1 in the USA Today 10 Best poll. Poll ends March 10, and you can vote every day.
https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-national-wildlife-refuge-2025/okefenokee-national-wildlife-refuge-folkston-georgia/

[HNRE Members]
HNRE Members

HNRE members whose districts include part of the Suwannee River Basin are:

[GA HNRE Suwannee River Basin Representatives]
GA HNRE Suwannee River Basin Representatives

  • Chas Cannon, House District 172 172, Chas Cannon, R – Moultrie, (404) 656-0177, chas.cannon@house.ga.gov, Colquitt, southwest Cook, and northeast Thomas Counties
  • John Corbett, House District 174 174, John Corbett, R – Lake Park, (404) 656-5105, john.corbett@house.ga.gov, Charlton, Brantley, south half of Ware, Clinch, Echols, Brantley, and southeast half of Lowndes Counties.
  • Jaclyn Ford, House District 170 170, Jaclyn Ford, R – Nashville, (404) 656-0325, jaclyn.ford@house.ga.gov, Berrien, south Tift, and northeast Cook Counties. Elected in 2024.
  • Leesa Hagan 156, Leesa Hagan, R – Lyons, (404) 656-0177, leesa.hagan@house.ga.gov, southeast Ben Hill County
  • Noel Williams, Jr., House District 148 148, Noel Williams, Jr., R – Cordele, (404) 656-5146, noel.williams@house.ga.gov, Crisp, Wilcox, and west Ben Hill Counties

For more about Georgia House Representatives, see:
https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-house/

Feel free to mention that thirteen cities and counties in Georgia and Florida have passed resolutions supporting the Okefenokee Swamp and opposing the proposed strip mine too close to it.

Five of those local governments passed resolutions supporting a mining moratorium:

The Dekalb County resolution does not mention a moratorium, but it does cite Clinch and Echols:
https://wwals.net/pictures/okefenokee-resolutions/#dekalb

In addition, these cities have passed resolutions supporting the Swamp and opposing the mine: Homeland, St. Marys, Kingsland, Waycross, Nashville, and Savannah. As have Ware County, Georgia, and Hamilton County, Florida.

And All Nine Riverkeepers of Georgia: Altamaha, Chattahoochee, Flint, Ogeechee, Satilla, Savannah, St. Marys, Suwannee, and Upper Coosa.

Plus All the Waterkeepers of Florida: Apalachicola Riverkeeper, Calusa Waterkeeper, Collier County Waterkeeper, Emerald Coastkeeper, Indian Riverkeeper, Kissimmee Waterkeeper, Lake Worth Waterkeeper, Matanzas Riverkeeper, Miami Waterkeeper, Peace-Myakka Waterkeeper, St. Johns Riverkeeper, St. Marys Riverkeeper, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Suwannee Riverkeeper, and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper.

Links to all Okefenokee mining resolutions I know of are here, including signed copies where I have them:
https://wwals.net/pictures/okefenokee-resolutions/

[WAM 1016, Monkey Lake from Trail Ridge, --Wayne Morgan for WWALS, 2019-10-05, 22:17:43]
WAM 1016, Monkey Lake from Trail Ridge, –Wayne Morgan for WWALS, 2019-10-05, 22:17:43

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/