H.Res. 549 — Introduced in House

IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 549 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 23, 2023Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a vital part of the ecology of Georgia and should be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Whereas the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a wetland that protects over 400,000 acres in south Georgia on the border with Florida; Whereas the Okefenokee has been inhabited since 2500 B.C.; Whereas, in 1936, it was designated the Okefenokee by the Department of the Interior; Whereas the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge sees over 400,000 visitors a year, playing a vital role in the economy of south Georgia; Whereas, according to a United States Fish and Wildlife Service report authored in 2019, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge created $64,700,000 in revenue for the local economies; Whereas there are hundreds of different animal species that inhabit the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, including endangered species such as the indigo snake and the red-cockaded woodpecker; Whereas the Okefenokee has been on the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List since 2007 but has yet to be inscribed permanently; and Whereas the Okefenokee holds significant historical, cultural, and ecological benefit to the States of Florida and Georgia: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives supports the nomination of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.