HR 929: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; 88th anniversary of its establishment; recognize

This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives marks the 88th anniversary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, which was officially established on March 30, 1937 as a breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The resolution describes the refuge's size and significance, noting it spans more than 407,000 acres, making it the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, and that it contains the largest precipitation-based freshwater wetland ecosystem in the country. The resolution highlights the refuge's role in preserving peat beds that store carbon and record thousands of years of land history, and its status as habitat for threatened and endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker and eastern indigo snake. It formally congratulates the refuge and directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies to the public and press.

• Formally congratulates the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the 88th anniversary of its 1937 establishment.
• Extends the Georgia House of Representatives' best wishes for the refuge's continued conservation and success.
• Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make copies of the resolution available to the public and press.
• Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a bill amending the state code.

This resolution primarily affects the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge itself as a symbolic honoree, along with the Georgia House of Representatives and its Clerk, who is tasked with distributing copies. It does not impose obligations on residents, businesses, or other government agencies.

Because this is a ceremonial resolution rather than a law, it does not change any rules, funding, or protections for the Okefenokee Swamp. Its main effect is public recognition of the refuge's ecological and historical value, distributed to the press and public by the House Clerk.

• The resolution recites the refuge's history, noting its establishment on March 30, 1937 and its 407,000-plus acres, including 353,000 acres designated as a Wilderness Area.
• It lists the refuge's ecological features, including undisturbed peat beds, over 850 plant species, and habitat for threatened and endangered species.
• The resolved clause formally congratulates the refuge and wishes it continued conservation success.
• A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available for public and press distribution.

1. 2025-04-02House Read and Adopted (House)
2. 2025-04-02House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-04-02House Hopper (House)

• James Burchett (R, HD-176)Primary sponsor
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)

• Okefenokee Swamp
• wildlife conservation
• state resolutions
• endangered species
• Georgia parks and refuges