FOLKSTON, Ga. (WSAV) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced its final decision to expand the acquisition boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by approximately 22,000 acres on Friday. This expansion is a move that could block a potential mining project by an Alabama company, Twin Pines Minerals, which wants to extract titanium and zirconium less than three miles from the refuge. Twin Pines' plans to mine so close to the Okefenokee have been a controversial topic since they began attempting to secure permits from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) in 2019. The expansion would not immediately add the land to the Refuge, but it would allow the Service to work with willing landowners to acquire lands through fee title or conservation easements. These aquations would further protect the Refuge’s significant freshwater wetland system and wildlife habitat, the FWS said. This means that Twin Pines could still deny the buyout of their land. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The expansion also includes a one-mile fuel reduction zone around the refuge boundary and lands located along Trail Ridge outside of the approved acquisition boundary. This buffer will help to reduce wildfire risks for nearby homes and communities. “We appreciate the commitment to conserving this landscape,” said refuge manager at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Michael Lusk. "This minor expansion will help further conservation efforts for the swamp along with the threatened and endangered species that inhabit it.” Sitting at over 400,000 acres, the Okefenokee is the largest refuge east of the Mississippi, and home to thousands of species including several nearly threatened, threatened and endangered species. In a 2024 release, the FWS said that the proposed boundary expansion would strengthen the protection of the hydrological integrity of the Okefenokee and would 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 threatened red-cockaded woodpecker. The Service said that during a 55-day public comment period, they received approximately 30,000 comments from people in 36 different countries and all 50 U.S. states. The comments represented the views of 40 non-governmental organizations, one Tribal Nation, seven government officials and the general public. State officials, scientists and activists have praised the Service's expansion plan since the first announcement. This includes Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) who wrote to FWS during the open comment period. "Scientific experts and Federal officials charged with protecting the Okefenokee — such as U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Dr. Rhett Jackson, a leading hydrologist at the University of Georgia — have issued clear warnings about the dangers of threatening the Refuge, including through proposed mining operations that could affect water levels in the swamp," Ossoff said in his letter. After the finalized plan was announced, supporters quickly backed the Service in their quick approval. “With the threat of mining adjacent to this refuge imminent, the expansion comes not a moment too soon," Senior Policy Analyst with Defenders of Wildlife Christian Hunt said. "We applaud the Service for taking the first step toward a solution that forever protects the refuge and the wildlife that depends on it. Mining simply cannot occur next to a world-class treasure like the Okefenokee.”  This comes after the Department of the Interior announced its decision to nominate the Refuge to the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 2024. If designated, the Refuge would join a list of 1,223 cultural and natural sites of universal importance such as the Grand Canyon, Great Wall of China and Taj Mahal.  "The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a landscape of unparalleled beauty and ecological significance. As one of the world’s largest intact freshwater ecosystems, it’s critical to both science and conservation,” said Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz. “Being nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List is a testament to the refuge’s global value, as a home for wildlife and a vital link to our planet’s environmental past and future.” For more information on the expansion, go to fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee.