[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 549 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 549

     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.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2023

  Mr. Carter of Georgia (for himself and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

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                               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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the nomination 
of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage 
Site.
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