Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to be Nominated to Join UNESCO World Heritage List

Date: Friday, December 20, 2024
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced that Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will be nominated to join the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, consists of more than 400,000 acres encompassing 92 percent of the Okefenokee Swamp, a large hydrologically intact swamp that is the source of two rivers – one that flows into the Atlantic and the other into the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the world's largest naturally driven freshwater ecosystems in the temperate zone with a diversity of habitat types, including 21 vegetative types. The refuge's undisturbed peat beds store valuable information on environmental conditions over the past 5,000 years and are a significant source of information related to global changes.

The nomination comes after a collaborative process with partners and consultation with the Federal Interagency Panel for World Heritage. The nomination will now go to the Federal Register for public review and then be submitted to the World Heritage Committee, composed of representatives from 21 nations, for a final decision for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

If designated, the refuge would join the list recognizing 1,223 cultural and natural sites of universal importance, such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall in China, and the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador. There are sites in 168 of the 195 countries, with 26 in the United States following the addition of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in Ohio in September 2023 and the Historic Moravian Bethlehem District in Pennsylvania in July 2024.

"The United States is home to some of Earth’s most incredible natural wonders, and today, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge takes an important step toward joining the ranks of the world’s most cherished treasures,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “This nomination serves as a recognition of the refuge’s unparalleled natural and cultural significance, and of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees, local communities and Tribes that have stewarded these lands for generations.” 

"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.”

Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary Estenoz visited the refuge in September 2022 where they heard from local and community leaders about ongoing and future efforts to protect the swamp and its surrounding habitats and wildlife. During the visit, Secretary Haaland highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, a decade-long challenge to pursue a locally led and voluntary nationwide effort to conserve, connect, and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife upon which we all depend.

The National Park Service manages all or part of 19 of the 26 World Heritage Sites in the United States. It is also the principal U.S. government entity responsible for implementing the World Heritage Convention on behalf of the United States and in cooperation with the Department of State.

Inclusion of a site in the World Heritage List does not affect United States sovereignty or management over the sites, which remain subject only to United States law. Detailed information on the World Heritage Program and the process for the selection of United States sites can be found on the National Park Service’s website.   

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