FOLKSTON, GEORGIA — In 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior authorized work on a formal UNESCO World Heritage nomination for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge, located on the Florida border in southeast Georgia, was first placed on the United States’ tentative UNESCO World Heritage list in 1981.

The Okefenokee is the largest blackwater swamp in North America. Its dark waters are stained by tannins released from decaying vegetation and cypress trees. The swamp began forming hundreds of thousands of years ago as the Atlantic Ocean retreated, leaving behind Trail Ridge and a shallow depression that trapped water.

Established in 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is home to nearly 250 bird species, 64 reptile species, and an estimated 15,000 alligators. It serves as a stronghold for endangered species including red-cockaded woodpeckers, wood storks, and eastern indigo snakes. Black bears and bobcats move through its uplands, and there are unconfirmed reports of Florida panthers in the area. Only about 5 percent of the swamp is currently accessible to humans.

The refuge faces ongoing environmental pressures. Development across the Florida border continues to affect the ecosystem, and a high-profile mining dispute near Trail Ridge has renewed concern over its protection. Before its designation as a wildlife refuge, logging operations cut through vast cypress forests, disrupting natural systems. Earlier, the Suwanee Canal Company attempted to drain the swamp by carving a canal through Trail Ridge to connect to the Suwannee River, but the project collapsed and the company went bankrupt before completion.

The Okefenokee attracts roughly 800,000 visitors each year.

Although President Donald Trump moved this year to withdraw the United States from UNESCO—effective in December—the country remains part of the World Heritage Convention. World Heritage designations have continued in the U.S. during past periods of UNESCO withdrawal, including under President Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump.