Expansion of wildlife refuge sets up possible buyout of mining project

The sun sets over water lilies and cypress trees along the remote Red Trail wilderness water trail of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Wednesday, April 6, 2022, in Fargo, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)

SAVANNAH (Georgia): A US federal agency says 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 US Fish and Wildlife Service could add 8,900ha along the boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest federal refuge east of the Mississippi River.