SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A federal agency proposed an expansion of the Okefenokee Swamp’s vast wildlife refuge on Friday, which could lead to a buyout offer for land intended for a private company’s mining project that conservationists have fought for years.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it’s considering adding 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares) along the boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest federal refuge east of the Mississippi River.
The agency said its proposed expansion includes land owned near the swamp’s edge by Twin Pines Minerals, which is on the cusp of obtaining state permits to mine minerals for producing titanium dioxide. The compound is used to whiten paints, paper and toothpaste…