In recent months, Americans from all fifty states gave the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 44,220 reasons to deny a mining company the right to dig for titanium near the Okefenokee Swamp. That’s the number of comments the Corps has received from members of conservation groups during an ongoing public comment period, bringing the collective total, over the course of two comment periods, to well over 60,000 submissions.

The overwhelming majority of those letters urge the federal agency to deny Twin Pines Minerals, LLC (Twin Pines), a permit that would allow the company to impact wetlands and begin mining portions of a 12,000-acre site adjacent to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. (Twin Pines has scaled back its original application and is now seeking permission to conduct a “demonstration project” that would impact 898-acres.)

Many contend that the pits dug below the water level of the swamp could have destructive and irreversible effects on the swamp. “Carving 50-foot deep pits into the ridge that acts as a geological dam that is essential for the maintenance of surface water and groundwater is risky at best, devastating at worst,” said Alex Kearns of St. Marys EarthKeepers. “It’s playing Russian roulette with an international natural landmark and the source of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers.”

“For a typical permit decision, the Corps might receive a handful to hundreds of comment letters,” said Christian Hunt of Defenders of Wildlife. “44,000 sends a clear message to the Corps. People do not want to risk the Okefenokee for common minerals that can be easily found elsewhere.”

This is not the first time citizens have fought proposals to mine near the Swamp. In the 1990s, DuPont moved to mine for titanium in the area, but public outcry forced the company to abandon its plans.

W.S. “Bill” Stuckey, who fought to designate the Okefenokee Swamp as a National Wilderness Area when he represented the 8th District of Georgia in Congress in 1974, recently urged state leaders to take a stand: “I’m thankful to Governor Kemp for saving our coast from oil drilling and am calling on him now to save our swamp. I am hopeful he will step in to protect our Okefenokee Wilderness and stop the mine.”

Concerned environmental organizations are asking the Corps to deny the permit or, at the very least, require additional studies to determine the true cost of the mine on the swamp and the economy of the region, a process that results in a comprehensive environmental impact statement.

“It’s location, location, location,” said Rena Ann Peck of Georgia River Network. “If mining takes place on the full 12,000-acre site, we could see activity within 400 feet of the Okefenokee swamp. And the swamp wetlands extend beyond the Refuge onto the ridge itself. With the average depth of the water in the swamp being only two feet, there’s not much room for error. Drawing down water levels could impact the 120 miles of canoe trails in the swamp and the more than 600,000 visitors that visit the swamp annually.”

“With its unique ecosystem and incomparable beauty,” says Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman, “the Okefenokee Swamp is a national and international treasure, and the source of the St. Marys and Suwannee Rivers. With its opportunities for boating, birding, fishing, photography, adventure, and hunting nearby attracting 600,000 visitors a year and supporting more than 700 jobs, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) provides more economic benefit to each of Georgia and Florida than any other refuge.”

In addition to citizens and organizations speaking out against the proposed mine, the Corps must also consider input from federal agencies. Thus far, those agencies have not viewed the proposal favorably. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told the Corps that mining “may result in substantial and unacceptable impacts” to the Okefenokee; the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service warned that damage to the Swamp “may be permanent.”

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) submitted comments to the Corps, signed by over 30 environmental organizations. Barbara Bourque, President of the Garden Club of Georgia states “The leadership of the Garden Club of Georgia, Inc., representing its 10,000 members, was honored to join many other concerned organizations and sign on the SELC letter opposing Twin Pines proposed operations bordering the Okefenokee Swamp. That well-researched document clearly shows the danger that a mining operation would cause to our unique natural resource.”