Sonny Perdue urges UNESCO designation for Okefenokee Swamp

Former Georgia Governor and current University System Chancellor Sonny Perdue has publicly endorsed the effort to designate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, emphasizing both its ecological significance and the potential for substantial economic benefits to surrounding rural communities. Perdue’s letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior highlighted the swamp’s status as the largest blackwater wetland in North America, home to over a thousand unique species and crucial to regional biodiversity. He cited studies indicating the World Heritage designation could generate hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in annual economic output, with visitor numbers potentially doubling. This push for preservation comes amid ongoing controversy over proposed titanium mining near the swamp, though Perdue did not directly address the mining issue in his correspondence. Proponents believe Perdue’s political influence could sway state-level decisions, while the mining company maintains that the UNESCO bid would not affect its permitting process. The Okefenokee’s formal nomination is pending, and, if successful, the site would join other globally renowned natural landmarks.