New poll shows Georgia voters support protecting the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

ATLANTA —A new poll reveals that more than nine out of ten Georgia voters feel it’s important to protect the Okefenokee Swamp and National Wildlife Refuge, and there is widespread opposition to developing a mine near it. Voters across party lines overwhelmingly support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service taking action to stop the mine if Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) moves forward issuing permits. Support for protecting the Okefenokee and backing for the Biden administration taking action to protect it spans all demographics and partisanship.

Major findings include:

• 92% of voters feel it is important to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and its wildlife, from pollution and other environmental dangers.
• When asked to choose between protecting the Okefenokee and allowing economic development, 93% of voters say it’s more important to protect plants and wildlife of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from harm, even if it might prevent economic development.
• 84% of voters think the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of the Interior should take action to protect the Okefenokee Swamp and National Wildlife Refuge by preventing the development of the titanium dioxide mine, including 90% of Democrats, 81% of Republicans, and 73% of Independents.
• Just 9% of voters favor development of the mine near the Okefenokee Swamp and National Wildlife Refuge, while fully 74% oppose it; 17% do not know enough to say.
• Only 11% of Georgians support EPD issuing permits for the mine.
• Nine in ten Georgia voters have at least heard of the Okefenokee (89%) and nearly half have visited (45%). Nearly half of Georgia voters who are familiar with it but have never been to the swamp hope to make a trip in the next few years.

“This supports exactly what we’ve been hearing across our state for years, that Georgians do not want this mine threatening the Okefenokee,” said SELC senior attorney Bill Sapp. “For years, Twin Pines has failed to prove their proposed mine would not harm the Swamp. Clearly Georgians oppose any threats to the swamp, including Twin Pines’ proposed mine.”

The Okefenokee Swamp is one of the most significant wetlands on Earth and is home to a stunning array of biodiversity including bald eagles, bobcats, black bears, and 13,000 alligators. The swamp hosts more than 725,000 visits a year, supports more than 750 jobs, and generates an estimated $64.7 million in economic activity in the four counties surrounding the Refuge.

Twin Pines Minerals LLC wants to mine for titanium dioxide—primarily used in common household items like toothpaste and paint—on Trail Ridge, the Okefenokee’s eastern rim. Researchers fear mining in this location will threaten the swamp’s water levels, increase wildfire risks, harm wildlife, and release toxic contaminants into nearby surface and groundwater. In February, EPD issued draft permits for Twin Pines to mine the first phase of the 8,000 acre mine that sits less than three miles from the refuge.

The Twin Pines mining permits are the most controversial in state history, generating nearly a quarter million public comments. At least 19 local governments across Georgia have passed resolutions calling for protection of the Okefenokee.  A bipartisan majority of Georgia’s House Members — 94 out of 180— supported a bill that would outlaw mining on Trail Ridge. Federal leaders, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, have written letters asking EPD to reject Twin Pines’ permit application for the mine.     

“Georgians of all political stripes know this proposal to mine for titanium dioxide, a common pigment, is flat-out wrong for the Okefenokee. This polling makes that clear. People come from all over Georgia and beyond to experience the solace of these beautiful swamplands. Visitors come to the Okefenokee Swamp to hike, fish, birdwatch, and explore some of the wildest wetlands in the South. Why put all of that at risk so someone can make a little extra toothpaste and paint?” asked Chris Watson, National Parks Conservation AssociationSoutheast campaign director. “We urge the federal government and the state of Georgia to heed the call of Georgia voters and work together to protect the one-of-a-kind Okefenokee Swamp for generations to come.”

The poll, conducted last week by Hart Research Associates, surveyed more than 600 voters across Georgia about their love for the Okefenokee, as well as the mining threat.

“Georgia voters are definitive about their desire to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from harm,” said Abigail Davenport, a partner with Hart Research. “They do not support the proposed mine and want the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to step in to protect the Okefenokee if the Georgia Environmental Protection Division does not.”