--- title: HR 929. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; 88th anniversary of its establishment; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr929 cite_as: HR 929, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr929 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr929.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr929/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72033 date: 2025-04-02 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr928.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr930.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr929.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 929 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-02 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - James Burchett - John Corbett text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR929/2025 upstream_id: 2019403 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Okefenokee Swamp - wildlife refuge - conservation - Georgia House resolution --- # HR 929. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge; 88th anniversary of its establishment; recognize ## Text 25 LC 112 3627 House Resolution 929 By: Representatives Burchett of the 176th and Corbett of the 174th A RESOLUTION Congratulating the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge upon the 88th anniversary of its1 establishment; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, officially established on March 30, 1937, as a refuge and breeding ground for3 migratory birds and other wildlife, this year represents the Ok efenokee National Wildlife4 Refuge's 88th birthday; and5 WHEREAS, with more than 407,000 acres of land and water, the re fuge is the largest6 national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, serving as the headwaters for both the7 Suwannee and St. Marys rivers; and8 WHEREAS, the Okefenokee represents the largest and best-preserved precipitation-based9 freshwater wetland ecosystem in the United States, 353,000 acre s of which have been10 designated as a Wilderness Area; and11 WHEREAS, the swamp's undisturbed peat beds preserve thousands of years of land history12 and store carbon, contributing to both ecological and historical conservation; and13 H. R. 929 - 1 - 25 LC 112 3627 WHEREAS, the refuge is a vital habitat for a wide variety of wi ldlife species, including14 several that are threatened or endangered, such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, wood stork,15 and eastern indigo snake; and16 WHEREAS, the refuge further supports the restoration of longleaf pine, a native species in17 steep decline across the southeastern United States; and18 WHEREAS, the Okefenokee is home to over 850 plant species, incl uding 18 species of19 carnivorous plants, as well as more than 120 miles of land and water trails for walking,20 biking, or paddling; and21 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable refuge be appropriately22 honored during this special time.23 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that24 the members of this body congratulate the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge upon the25 88th anniversary of its establishment as well as extend best wi shes for its continued26 conservation and success.27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized28 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the29 public and the press.30 H. R. 929 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution formally congratulates the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the 88th anniversary of its founding in 1937. ### Plain-language summary 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. The text describes the refuge's size, history, and ecological importance, noting it covers more than 407,000 acres and is the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply has the House of Representatives congratulate the refuge and wish it continued conservation and success. It also directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and the press. ### What it does - Congratulates the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the 88th anniversary of its establishment on March 30, 1937. - Extends the House of Representatives' best wishes for the refuge's continued conservation and success. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and press. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement; it is a ceremonial statement only. ### Who it affects This resolution mainly concerns the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge itself and the federal and state agencies that manage it. It has no direct legal effect on residents, businesses, or other institutions; it is a symbolic gesture from the Georgia House of Representatives. ### Why it matters Because it is a ceremonial resolution, it does not change any law, create funding, or impose new rules. Its practical effect is limited to public recognition of the refuge's anniversary and history, distributed by the Clerk of the House to the public and press. ### Key provisions - The preamble (whereas clauses) describes the refuge's 1937 founding, its 407,000-plus acres, and its status as the largest wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. - The preamble also notes the refuge hosts threatened or endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, wood stork, and eastern indigo snake. - The resolving clause has the House of Representatives congratulate the refuge on its 88th anniversary and wish it continued success. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available for public and press distribution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: James Burchett, John Corbett - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72033 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr929.md?full=1