A controversial heavy sands mining project proposed on the southern fringes of the Okefenokee National Wildlife refuge will not be developed, thanks to a $60 million land purchase agreement between The Conservation Fund and the Alabama-based mining company, Twin Pines Minerals. The purchase was finalized Friday.

“Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a special place and one of the most important natural treasures in Georgia,” said Stacy Funderburke, vice president of the central southeast region at The Conservation Fund. “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.”

The proposed mine would have used a drag-line system — think of a massive shovel pulled along by cables that scrapes away the earth — to get at the titanium and zirconium contained within a giant sand berm known as Trail Ridge. This berm essentially helps contain the southeast side of the Okefenokee Swamp, which is part of the larger refuge and is home to the South’s largest federally designated wilderness area. For years, scientists from universities and agencies all over the South warned both federal and state of Georgia environmental regulators that such a mine could drastically alter the hydrology of the Okefenokee, putting the swamp in peril and even lowering the flows in the nearby St. Marys River that is born in the black-water basin. In addition to the St. Marys, the swamp is also the headwaters of the Suwannee River that flows south into Florida and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico.

“The work to permanently protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and everyone in the conservation community has a role to play,” said Funderburke. “After some of our most dedicated partners exhausted every other avenue to save the swamp, The Conservation Fund stepped in to buy this site from Twin Pines and prevent the biggest threat to the refuge in the last 30 years.”

According to the Southern Environmental Law Center, which helped broker the purchase agreement, The Conservation Fund also acquired the underlying mineral rights at the mining site, which is about four miles from the official border of the refuge.

The refuge contains more than 400,000 acres of protected public lands and waters (of which 350,000 acres are designated as wilderness). It’s the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, and is home to a number of endangered and sensitive plant and animal species. The refuge is home to everything from black bears and river otters to wood storks, red cockaded woodpeckers and more that 13,000 American alligators. Its fishery is rich and diverse — anglers frequent the waters of the swamp to catch flyers, warmouth, chain pickerel, Suwannee bass, gar and bowfin, the latter of which has earned a cult following among fly fishers.

“When citizens, advocates, and the conservation community work together, really extraordinary things are possible,” said Bill Sapp, a senior attorney in SELC’s Georgia office and chairman of the Okefenokee Protection Alliance’s executive committee. “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.”

Presently, the refuge is a candidate for inclusion as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It would join only 26 other such sites in the United States and just over 1,200 around the world. Keeping the refuge and the storied swamp contained within it intact is key for such an esteemed designation.

The proposed mine was met with overwhelming public opposition over the years as it was first considered by federal environmental regulators and later the Georgia Department of Environmental Protection. The latter agency issued a draft mining permit to Twin Pines in 2024, and the company was preparing to mine Trail Ridge once the state issued a final permit, which was due imminently. The Conservation Fund purchase immediately halts all plans to dragline Trail Ridge.

“This is an incredibly special outcome and there is no place more deserving than the Okefenokee,” said Megan Huynh, a senior attorney in SELC’s Georgia office. “Georgians sent a clear message to Twin Pines Minerals that mining next to the Okefenokee is an unacceptable risk. This wouldn’t have been possible without a powerful coalition, and regular Georgians who were willing to stand up and defend a place as beloved as the Okefenokee.”

Since the proposed mine was first planned, more than 250,000 public comments were submitted by state and federal regulators considering the merits of the mine — the most of any environmental project in Georgia’s history.

“Twin Pines’ decision to sell their land to a conservation buyer instead of to a mining company is a respectable response to the hundreds of thousands of voices who have spoken out against the mining proposal,” said Megan Desrosiers, president and CEO of One Hundred Miles, a Georgia-based non-profit that works to protect and restore the coastal ecosystems in Georgia. The group worked with The Conservation Fund and the Southern Environmental Law Fund on the eventual purchase of the mining site, in large part because the mine threatened the flows of the St. Marys River that forms the border between Georgia and Florida before draining into the Atlantic Ocean. “One Hundred Miles is grateful and proud to have been part of the effort to bring together funders, environmental organizations, and citizens from across the country together to protect the swamp.”

Every year, nearly 800,000 people visit the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, where they can canoe or kayak into the swamp for sightseeing, birding, wildlife viewing and fishing. The refuge is a massive environmental driver in south Georgia, where it helps provide about 750 jobs and generates nearly $65 million in economic activity.

Chip Stewart, senior vice president of Twin Pines Minerals, confirmed Friday that “a deal has been completed,” but declined to comment further. Kate Holden, communications coordinator for The Conservation Fund, confirmed the $60 million purchase price.