SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Conservation Fund, a national environmental nonprofit, announced Friday that they had purchased the Twin Pines Mining Site near Trail Ridge outside of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, “halting” the mining “threat.”
A spokeswoman for The Conservation Fund confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that the land as purchased for just under $60 million.
The proposed deep earth mine site on Trail Ridge has been subject to a variety of advocates pushing for the project to end, and financial delays recently reported by Georgia state officials concerning permitting.
Now, the project is ending before it could begin mining, with The Conservation Fund announcing they’d bought the site.
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Advocate organization the Southern Environmental Law Center said the Conservation Fund was not only purchasing the land, but the underlying mineral rights, to ensure protection of the area.
“Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a special place and one of the most important natural treasures in Georgia. It’s the kind of place that sticks with us and sustains us — a destination for nature lovers and home to unique plants and wildlife like alligators, wood storks and bald eagles,” Stacy Funderburke, vice president of the central Southeast region at TCF, said in a statement. “By purchasing this land from Twin Pines, The Conservation Fund will ensure that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge remains wild and unspoiled for all Americans.”
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Twin Pines Minerals, LLC had been attempting to mine near the Okefenokee Swamp since 2019.
A permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division was in progress but had not been approved.
Recent reporting by the Associated Press indicated that the Twin Pines project had stalled due to financial difficulties.
After The Conservation Fund’s announcement, several advocates for protecting the natural life at the location released statements of support.
This step toward protecting the Okefenokee Swamp is great news for all Georgians and our beloved natural treasure.
“For years, I’ve been sounding the alarm that strip mining near the Okefenokee Swamp poses irreversible damage to an irreplaceable natural resource,” U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said. “I will continue to champion efforts to protect Georgia’s beloved natural resources and beloved outdoor spaces.”
Reacting to the purchase, the Southern Environmental Law Center said in part that the news was “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.”
Twin Pines declined to comment on the purchase deal.
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