[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6653659,"mediaKeyId","2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a","parentId",2477963,"title","Committee hears HB 570 to bar UN/WHO influence in state policy; supporters cite sovereignty, opponents raise legal questions","audioSeconds",2856,"startMs",19822000,"endMs",22678000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a&start=19822&end=22678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a/thumbnail_19822000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6653659/Georgia/Committee-hears-HB-570-to-bar-UNWHO-influence-in-state-policy-supporters-cite-sovereignty-opponents-raise-legal-questions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653659-a8bcb60c846bb8cbc2d951962c1798ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144397&Signature=cVG7rOCezM1NYlTOHK2xMNQ~MfIGufoBpDbqVO2ISoue~vTzBzEbCyfdOMLYfSV8aaTIxkiPAXl0RORqY6iwrjOQvKXvqSYOfTL48ixqxF~Bc0yKMNgigYMtGuHnTBjHGQF~emdmT1F1RL1WOGTXinc6~9GZzRLxMIyj8ybPlC1Cfub4nVAw4LLDbMPKuq98WFQZL1lbaKoJ6ai~ua-UcE6hQXk--d8YAMoAsVyBjx0YvZfd6sTY69fhHQxAB-VY3ik27QX~lN2R1CppEd8n5xJK6IKYWj6JyuzdwO9MMwDtTEeSV3OtoKn7IRUn~bvSGlJrntv1mHKu6uDm~PqsOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Georgia ","date","2025-03-04T00:12:38.053Z","article","Representative John Corbett presented House Bill 570 to the Subcommittee on Resource Management, describing the measure as codifying that the United Nations, World Health Organization and related international organizations “shall have no jurisdiction or power to implement or enforce any rule, regulation, fee, tax, policy, or mandate in this state.” Corbett said the proposal aims to remove any doubt about Georgia’s sovereignty and to prevent external bodies from influencing state and local policy.

Nut graf: HB 570 would declare that international organizations have no authority to impose rules on Georgia political subdivisions. Supporters characterized the bill as a preventive safeguard against perceived encroachments by UN agencies and UNESCO processes; opponents and some committee members raised questions about federal treaty power, actual mechanisms of influence and whether state law could preempt internationally negotiated treaties or executive agreements.

Supporters described UNESCO and World Heritage processes as potential routes for international influence on land use and property rights. Witnesses on Zoom and in the room cited examples they said show how UNESCO’s World Heritage and related programs can later encourage buffer zones, management input and nonbinding guidance that could affect private property. Alex Newman, a journalist who follows UN institutions, told the committee the UN’s “2030 Agenda” and the “Pact for the Future” are examples of global policy documents that have broad ambitions and may be implemented through national and local programs. Mike Worley of the Georgia Wildlife Federation and other local witnesses framed HB 570 as a precautionary measure to protect state decision‑making.

Opponents and questioners pressed for clarity about legal effect and overlap with federal law. A committee member noted that the U.N. Charter provides that the organization “has no authority to intervene in matters which are within the domestic jurisdiction of any state” and asked how the statute would operate in the event of a U.S. treaty ratification. Witnesses who favor the bill said state codification would strengthen local resistance to any international attempt to influence policy and suggested enforcement mechanisms be added to the draft.

Representative Corbett and other supporters also cited local organizing: several county commissions and local Republican organizations in Southeast Georgia had adopted resolutions opposing UNESCO involvement in the Okefenokee nomination process; supporters asked the legislature to act preemptively.

Ending: The subcommittee heard HB 570 and received a mix of nationalized policy arguments and local concerns about property rights and education standards. Committee members did not vote on the bill at the hearing and requested further legal review and drafting clarification about how state law would interact with federal treaty obligations and administrative practice.

Speakers quoted in this article come from the hearing transcript and include Representative John Corbett (sponsor), Alex Newman (journalist on UN affairs, Zoom), Mike Worley (Georgia Wildlife Federation), and multiple local witnesses who expressed concern about UNESCO and World Heritage processes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Natural Resources & Environment Resource Management Subcommittee 03.03.25","oneSentenceSummary","Representative John Corbett introduced HB 570, a bill that would codify that the United Nations, the World Health Organization and related international organizations have no authority to implement rules or mandates in Georgia.","taxTitle","Natural Resources & Environment, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",17248,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6653670,"Georgia subcommittee holds hearing on Okefenokee Protection Act, supporters urge ban on Trail Ridge mining",1469,13418000,14887000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a&start=13418&end=14887","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a/thumbnail_13418000.jpg","/articles/6653670/Georgia/Georgia-subcommittee-holds-hearing-on-Okefenokee-Protection-Act-supporters-urge-ban-on-Trail-Ridge-mining","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653670-477a92bc27a493db9f7a37e6992f5b9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144397&Signature=LyJ0D9fA00x7PD0WgA2hD4cjpfnjzUYTTY4Lcp4VH2qYI5XfniPMVLLSncZcoBY40HDeaR5FGRZareqZOjM9snh6N90KRSa6x1EBsOsdto5-LergbS4XVArCrVbIG2XZFGjB4Tm5jEK9k6St-FFMcMhp2bzSfS3Bg69lkRVCikv5y2CT~uFSMme2BA5JR0N-aU~qQzSxmSINfGWgEKNOd0W2sGS39Th0tTMKB95XDBc55VoosPAufoUOuYRkaU9f9FwOXr2upVSiie524TY8SOCZ7HVuo~OVq3ijLVV8LxnO0SjD9ZsIVyB-G-kkYqfEDAEQy~rOhLTKKqQGv2uJAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Subcommittee on Resource Management of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee held a hearing on House Bill 561, the Okefenokee Protection Act, a proposal to prohibit surface mining along Trail Ridge where it abuts the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Representative Darlene Taylor, sponsor of HB 561, opened the hearing, saying the bill would protect the swamp and its surrounding communities from proposed mining.

The bill would bar surface mining on the portion of Trail Ridge coterminous with the eastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Representative Darlene Taylor (sponsor) told the committee that the Okefenokee is “the largest blackwater wetland in North America” and said the bill is “about us, who we are and what we value.”

Nut graf: Supporters framed HB 561 as a preventive measure to keep Trail Ridge — which witnesses described as the hydraulic ridge that helps retain water in the swamp — intact. Opponents, including landowners and industry representatives, said mining permits should continue to be decided by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on a project‑by‑project basis and warned that a statutory ban could raise constitutional and economic issues.

Experts and conservation groups who testified in favor of the bill warned of hydrologic and ecological effects from proposed mining activity. Rhett Jackson, John Porter Stevens Distinguished Professor of Water Resources at the University of Georgia Warnell School, told the committee that the proposed mine site sits on a hydrologic divide and cited the project consultant’s estimate that the mine would need to “constantly pump 1,130,000 gallons per day every day to dewater the mine pit.” Jackson said that withdrawing about 0.9 cubic feet per second (CFS) would “more than triple the duration of severe drought” for the southeast compartment of the swamp, and that even small sustained changes in the swamp’s shallow water budget may increase wildfire risk and ecological damage.

Josh Marks, an environmental attorney and president of Georgians for the Okefenokee, told members the state agency review has been inadequate. Marks said independent hydrologists had “documented how EPD has failed to use sound science in its analysis of the project” and cited a 2023 letter from scientists to EPD criticizing the agency’s methodology.

Representatives of conservation, recreation and local tourism interests described potential economic and community impacts. Barbara Bork, past president of the Garden Club of Georgia, said the Okefenokee “is a national treasure” and noted the swamp’s tourism and job figures cited by testimony. Rena Pack of Georgia Rivers and Emily Floor of Saint Marys Riverkeeper told the committee that the Saint Marys River is hydrologically connected to Trail Ridge and that reduced inflows could increase saltwater intrusion and sedimentation downstream; Floor urged the committee to permit time for ongoing EPD, Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps studies to complete.

Several witnesses urged a statutory protection rather than continuing to rely solely on permitting decisions. April Lipscomb, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, argued that a ban or moratorium would not constitute an unconstitutional taking because surface mining is a heavily regulated use and courts weigh reasonableness of investment‑backed expectations. Others, including local business and conservation groups, urged passage to avoid repeated cycles of contested permitting.

Industry and landowner representatives opposed a legislative ban. Drew Jones, a forest land manager for Toledo Manufacturing and a Charlton County commissioner, said local jobs and revenues come from existing mining operations and that EPD should continue to adjudicate permits. Louis Jones, an attorney for Twin Pines Minerals, said the company’s application had undergone multi‑year review and urged the committee to “let the experts do their job.” Joe Hopkins, who described owning mineral deposits in the region, argued that a statute that permanently forecloses mining could generate takings claims and deprive landowners of economically valuable rights without compensation.

Committee members questioned trade‑offs between legislative action and agency permitting. Several members voiced concern about geographic scope, enforcement and potential legal exposure; Representative Taylor clarified that HB 561 would apply only to the portion of Trail Ridge in Georgia that is coterminous with the refuge’s eastern boundary and would not affect land in Florida.

Ending: The subcommittee treated HB 561 as a hearing item and did not take a vote. Committee members moved next to consideration of House Bill 562, a separate measure that would impose a temporary moratorium on mining on Trail Ridge. Several witnesses and committee members requested additional hydrologic and economic analyses before a final decision.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the hearing record and include Representative Darlene Taylor (sponsor), Rhett Jackson (UGA), Josh Marks (Georgians for the Okefenokee), April Lipscomb (Southern Environmental Law Center), Rena Pack (Georgia Rivers), Emily Floor (Saint Marys Riverkeeper), Drew Jones (Toledo Manufacturing; Charlton County commissioner), Louis Jones (attorney for Twin Pines Minerals), Barbara Bork (Garden Club of Georgia) and Joe Hopkins (landowner/industry representative).","The Subcommittee on Resource Management of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee held a hearing on House Bill 561, the Okefenokee Protection Act, a proposal to prohibit surface mining along Trail Ridge where it abuts the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6653664,"Subcommittee hears proposal for temporary moratorium on Trail Ridge mining to allow studies and land purchases",769,15996000,16765000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a&start=15996&end=16765","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477963-74d0928a9e5fe5aa56b8947d89b3b11a/thumbnail_15996000.jpg","/articles/6653664/Georgia/Subcommittee-hears-proposal-for-temporary-moratorium-on-Trail-Ridge-mining-to-allow-studies-and-land-purchases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653664-76ececb16a736ab904a0faed03b95d8b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144397&Signature=cDIV39LI7-UdwCvSb9zVLG3wtZR4Zl1HP2k9sjlY-2ew98yb3mLvKfzwX5cmQPnrPcJx~M3o2Hzlaje-94WEfS-Tbh9wM-TahzRZHBvvMEDN504uV1Rf84pyKMejbbgo2tPHKOBBOAwYrMaVODlpFFoqhUI0mDyztPHFHnXe5YHILuLkG2zozuJfrpT-10UoP7x52lm3HyzNm4RS0~dWGANAc5Mf4a2Ei~EG35k7R-HyETgde0CAMuGhsYwjzF-BwlGNPhbaSv1I3hdSdvZkdnyoynJFlozjU-BzQJ--OZAvbLLczLnX3v9U6g5QsUd-LTKFbsCdP7cz8alX92CvuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Darlene Taylor introduced House Bill 562 to the Subcommittee on Resource Management as a narrower alternative to HB 561: a temporary moratorium on new or modified surface‑mining permits on the portion of Trail Ridge that abuts the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Taylor said the pause would create breathing room for federal acquisition efforts and for additional study; Fish and Wildlife Service staff and philanthropic entities were described as potential partners to retire mining rights through purchase.

Nut graf: HB 562 would pause permitting for a defined period (sponsor discussed five years as a preferred timeframe and noted Fish and Wildlife recommended 10 years), enabling further hydrologic and watershed studies and potential land acquisition without permanently foreclosing future decisions.

Supporters asked for time to complete ongoing technical work. Emily Floor of Saint Marys Riverkeeper described surveys and modeling under way — bathymetric mapping, side‑scan sonar and biochemical oxygen demand studies — and urged a moratorium “to allow for these studies to be completed, providing EPD the most up to date and accurate information.” Amy Sharma of Science for Georgia and other scientists said a moratorium would stop immediate proposals while more complete, peer‑reviewed analyses proceed; Sharma said a five‑year pause would “put a stop to all this fighting” and allow a structured review.

Some local officials and civic groups framed a moratorium as a pragmatic compromise. Josh Howard, president of the Friends of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, described local economic development plans tied to ecotourism and said protecting the swamp would support long‑term jobs.

Opponents cautioned that a broad moratorium could harm local economies and would not substitute for a science‑based regional study. Drew Jones of Toledo Manufacturing and other industry speakers said EPD’s permitting process is the proper venue to assess site‑specific impacts. Joe Hopkins, who identified mineral holdings on Trail Ridge, proposed a targeted, shorter study and recommended assessing historical drainage, canals and other anthropogenic changes before imposing a broad statutory pause.

Committee discussion focused on scope and duration. Representative Taylor said five years would be acceptable; she also noted ongoing philanthropic efforts to acquire land but said land purchases at scale would likely require more time and resources than a short legislative session permits.

Ending: The committee held HB 562 as a hearing item and did not take a vote. Several members signaled interest in additional technical information and in consulting with EPD before any formal committee vote.","House Bill 562 would create a temporary moratorium on surface‑mining permits on Trail Ridge adjacent to the Okefenokee, supporters said, to allow additional scientific study and time for potential land acquisition. Witnesses on both sides urged either a pause for data collection or continuation of EPD permitting; no vote was taken.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears HB 570 to bar UN/WHO influence in state policy; supporters cite sovereignty, opponents raise legal questions

Georgia subcommittee holds hearing on Okefenokee Protection Act, supporters urge ban on Trail Ridge mining

Subcommittee hears proposal for temporary moratorium on Trail Ridge mining to allow studies and land purchases