Voices of the South speak in defense of the Okefenokee

Georgia and its elected officials questioned for failure to ban strip mining near national wildlife refuge.

For Georgians, Okefenokee is our Yellowstone

The Okefenokee Swamp has always held a mythical allure, bolstered by tall tales and folk songs my father used to sing about it. So when my family had the opportunity to visit during the spring several years ago, we set out on a journey to trace our roots south and reconnect with nature. We hired a guide to take us into the swamp, where we paddled under towering ancient cypress trees, around lily pads and through native marsh grass. A white ibis sailed ahead of us, its black wingtips pointing the way through the maze of veins that carry port wine-colored water to the heart of the swamp. We followed the song of a prothonotary warbler to a hardwood nest, where the pudgy, little yellow bird was singing. We were delighted to find this increasingly rare species living alongside huge alligators.

The cycle of life is no more evident than inside the Okefenokee Swamp. Beautiful flora grows out of decay. Saplings spring out of dead trees. No plant stands alone. The swamp showed me that independence is an illusion. Our roots run deeper than our family trees even suggest. If you follow them far enough, you will reach the life-giving source. Mother Nature can be found in the heart of the Okefenokee.

Please protect the beloved Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by denying permits to any strip mining operation in or around the swamp. Trail Ridge holds the water in the swamp and therefore cannot be mined without impacting its hydrology. The Okefenokee also helps us naturally fight climate change because it is a massive carbon sink. Although peatlands make up just 3% of land on Earth, they store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined. Now that the Clean Water Act no longer protects wetlands, the decision to allow the Twin Pines strip mine lies solely with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Georgia citizens love the Okefenokee.

It is our Yellowstone and has been nominated as a UNESCO world heritage site. Let’s protect what we love.

RAMSEY NIX, ATHENS

New York resident wonders why state won’t protect gem

I was on my way home from spending five days paddling the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge when I read about Georgia’s plans to approve a titanium mine on the outskirts of the swamp. I had heard about it from residents in and around the refuge and seen the signs opposing the mine. No one wants this thing. I’ve canoed through the Adirondack Park and across the border in Canada’s provincial parks, in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, and Maine’s Allagash wilderness, but I had never seen any place quite like the Okefenokee. Why Georgia would not do everything it can to protect this gem is a mystery to me.

To say that water is everything in the Okefenokee is no exaggeration. All of the Okefenokee’s so-called “trails” are actually water paths that take paddlers deep into the swamp; without sufficient water, they would be inaccessible. Especially now in an age of climate disruption, sensible people would take care not to threaten the

Okefenokee’s water levels.

It’s a popular place; we made reservations months in advance. Every campsite was booked with new parties coming and going every two days, yet in all my travels, I have never seen anyplace so free of litter as the Okefenokee Swamp. At the campsites, there were no little foil scraps or bits of plastic that are ubiquitous at other campsites; even no toothpaste spit on the fire rings and in the water, no discarded plastic bottles or lost articles of clothing. I remarked on this to the burly fellow who was pulling out at the same time I was, and he agreed. “I guess people just really love this place,” he explained. So why can’t the State of Georgia do the same?

ANNE HARVEY HOYT, NEW YORK

Gov. Kemp could be the hero to protect Okefenokee

The March 31 AJC article “Okefenokee mining saga still being contested” reminded us that the fight for this natural icon is not over. Practically all Georgians agree on protecting the Okefenokee. There is even bipartisan legislative support for the Okefenokee. What is the problem? Who is gaining? Not Georgians! Are there financial contributions or favors that influence decision-makers? Probably.

JEANNE MCCARTHY, ATLANTA

Why doesn’t Georgia do what’s right?

Bravo to those who wrote letters to Readers Write and a guest essay recognizing the seriousness of climate change and threats to the Okefenokee; they praised the efforts of the Inflation Reduction Act to save the environment and money for those adopting green technologies.

Meanwhile, the Georgia PSC is poised to grant Georgia Power its special request for more electricity generation — 70% with fossil fuels. Contrast that with the AJC report that the last two coal-fired power plants in New England are set to close in the next four years; the plants will be converted to solar farms and battery storage for wind farms. Also reported in the AJC: Insurers dramatically increasing premiums because of climate-related losses and utilities not grappling with issues associated with older electric grids. Why does Georgia (Power, PSC and Legislature) deserve a pass on dealing with climate change while other states and federal government step up to do what is right?

JOHN W. SHACKLETON JR., ATLANTA

Legislators, governor should have slammed on brakes to all permits

To Gov. Brian Kemp and the entire legislative body of senators and representatives: Shame on all of you for not slamming on the brakes on any and all permits to mine the Okefenokee, our beautiful natural treasure.

It is a mystery to me, and probably all Georgians why legislators would hesitate to act on this.

It makes me wonder if the mining company had deep pockets. I wonder whose now are full?

MARY SPAIN, PEACHTREE CITY

COURTESY OF GEORGIA STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES A kayaker glides through the waters of the Okefenokee Swamp at Stephen C. Foster Park in Fargo.