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Okefenokee Swamp nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status, trustees brief Ware County commissioners
Summary
Dr. William S. Clark and Michael Lusk told commissioners the Okefenokee Swamp has been nominated to UNESCO as a World Heritage site; the application is under review in Paris with a vote expected summer 2026. A copy of the submission book was provided to the county clerk.
Dr. William S. Clark, former chairman of the Okefenokee Swamp Park board of trustees, told the Ware County Board of Commissioners that the Okefenokee Swamp has been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. Michael Lusk, director of the National Wildlife Refuge, also spoke in favor of the nomination and provided background on the application process.
The application, Clark said, was transmitted through the U.S. State Department and is currently under evaluation in Paris; a vote on the nomination is expected in summer 2026. Clark and Lusk provided a copy of the book submitted with the application to the county clerk for the county record.
The presentation did not ask the commission to take formal action; it was informational. No commission vote or directive was recorded during the work session.
