Twin Pines Minerals sells controversial mine site on the edge of the Okefenokee

ATLANTA— Thanks to the incredible work of The Conservation Fund, the site of a proposed mine on the doorstep of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is permanently protected. The Conservation Fund announced the purchase of Twin Pines Minerals’ mine site near the border of the refuge. In addition to the land, the group is also acquiring the underlying mineral rights.

For more than six years, SELC has worked alongside a broad coalition of groups to stop Twin Pines Minerals from mining along Trail Ridge, the ancient barrier island that makes up the Okefenokee’s eastern rim. The proposed mine would have threatened the water levels and ecosystem health of one of the most wild, pristine, and ecologically intact places in America.

“When citizens, advocates, and the conservation community work together, really extraordinary things are possible,” said Bill Sapp, a senior attorney in SELC’s Georgia office and chairman of the Okefenokee Protection Alliance’s executive committee. “The Okefenokee is unlike any place on Earth. Conserving this special place is an important step towards protecting Trail Ridge and the Okefenokee for the next generation of Georgians.”

No environmental permit application in Georgia history has drawn as much opposition as the Twin Pines Minerals mine. Concerned citizens from across Georgia and the country expressed their opposition to the mine by filing more than 250,000 comments with the Corps of Engineers and the state of Georgia. A 2024 survey of Georgia voters showed overwhelming support for protecting the Okefenokee from mining threats and at least 19 local governments across Georgia have passed resolutions calling for protection of the Okefenokee. 

“This is an incredibly special outcome and there is no place more deserving than the Okefenokee,” said Megan Huynh, a senior attorney in SELC’s Georgia office. “Georgians sent a clear message to Twin Pines Minerals that mining next to the Okefenokee is an unacceptable risk. This wouldn’t have been possible without a powerful coalition, and regular Georgians who were willing to stand up and defend a place as beloved as the Okefenokee.”

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is home to a stunning array of biodiversity including bald eagles, bobcats, black bears, and 13,000 alligators. Several endangered and threatened species reside in and rely on the Okefenokee, including wood storks, indigo snakes, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. The Okefenokee attracts nearly 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.

“Protecting Georgia’s unique and beloved resources has been a priority for SELC since our founding nearly 40 years ago. This is easily one of SELC’s biggest Georgia victories,” said Gil Rogers, director of SELC’s Georgia office. “I am incredibly proud of our staff, partners, and the citizens of Georgia who banded together to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.”