The United Nations has designated Okefenokee Swamp as a World Heritage Site for its “outstanding universal value” to humanity.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted recently on the swamp’s listing in a meeting in Bussan, South Korea.
The Okefenokee is home to many species of wildlife, including federally threatened and endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker (Leuconotopicus borealis), indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and wood stork (Mycteria americana). The vote comes one year after a $60 million land deal that protected the swamp from impending mining.
“We accept this inscription not as a finish line, but as a commitment to keep the Okefenokee wild, resilient, and thriving for generations to come,” said Kim Bednarek, executive director of the nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park that’s worked with the U.S. government on the refuge’s nomination package, in a statement after the vote.
Although the site is now recognized by UNESCO, authority to manage the swamp won’t change. The vast majority of the swamp is included in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
