Okefenokee UNESCO honor: A win for U.S. tradition of conservative conservation

For generations, the Okefenokee has been one of Georgia’s greatest treasures.

It is a place where families have hunted, fished and paddled beneath towering cypress trees. It is home to remarkable wildlife, breathtaking landscapes and traditions that have been passed from one generation to the next.

For generations, the Okefenokee has drawn everyone from sportsmen to conservationists alike. Along the way, it even lured Burt Reynolds to the swamp.

Now, the rest of the world has taken notice.

On July 25, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming Georgia’s first property to receive the distinction.

It now stands alongside places such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Machu Picchu, the Great Barrier Reef and the Serengeti, affirming what Georgians have long known: The Okefenokee is one of the world’s great natural treasures.

Conservation is good public stewardship

Georgia state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, serves as Senate majority leader. (Courtesy)

We didn’t protect the Okefenokee because we hoped the world would notice. We protected it because it belongs to Georgia, and because we believe some places are worth passing on better than we found them.

We were never seeking recognition. We were fulfilling a responsibility. The fact that the world now recognizes the Okefenokee’s significance is not validation of our stewardship, but a recognition of it — and something every Georgian can celebrate.

The timing makes that recognition even more meaningful.

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we have rightly reflected on the courage of our Founding Fathers and the principles that built the greatest nation on Earth. But our inheritance is more than the freedoms they secured. It is also the land that has shaped generations of Americans.

Here in Georgia, that heritage stretches from the Appalachian Mountains to the Golden Isles. Our forests, rivers, farms and wetlands have sustained rural communities, strengthened our economy and provided the backdrop for countless family traditions.

We didn’t protect the Okefenokee because we hoped the world would notice. We protected it because it belongs to Georgia, and because we believe some places are worth passing on better than we found them.

We were never seeking recognition. We were fulfilling a responsibility. The fact that the world now recognizes the Okefenokee’s significance is not validation of our stewardship, but a recognition of it — and something every Georgian can celebrate.

The timing makes that recognition even more meaningful.

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we have rightly reflected on the courage of our Founding Fathers and the principles that built the greatest nation on Earth. But our inheritance is more than the freedoms they secured. It is also the land that has shaped generations of Americans.

Here in Georgia, that heritage stretches from the Appalachian Mountains to the Golden Isles. Our forests, rivers, farms and wetlands have sustained rural communities, strengthened our economy and provided the backdrop for countless family traditions.

They are places where children learn to fish, hunters pass down traditions and families develop a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors.

That is why conservation has never been a partisan cause. It is simply good stewardship.