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1C PRESERVE OKEFINOKEE SWAMP 1 Okefinokee swamp with no counterpart any ¬ where hi the world and containing numerous features of extraordinary interest which call for permanent national preservation according to the Biological Survey of the United States Depart ¬ ment of Agriculture is threatened by commercial exploitation which will destroy its primeval condi ¬ tions and remove the last of the three great swamps of the Atlantic seaboard seaboardAttention Attention to the danger confronting this great ¬ est natural wonder of Georgia is called by a writer oC the Biological Survey United States Department of Agriculture He states however that the Oke finokee Society which was organized in 1918 through local sentiment in Waycross Ga a city near the swamp is taking steps to preserve the region for posterity The Okefinokee Society which is prepared to undertake the raising of private funds plans after securing the area for a reserva ¬ tion to present it to the United States government in order that it may be administered and per ¬ petuated as a national wildlife refuge refugeThe The Okefinokee covers nearly 700 square miles in the southeastrn part of Georgia Among the fresh ¬ water swamps east of the Mississippi says the Biological Survey writer it Is exceeded in size only by the Everglades and in the richness of its historical and literary associations in the marvel ¬ ous beauty and charm of its diversified scenery and in its extraordinary interest as a faunal and floral area Okefinokee swamp is unique It has no counterpart anywhere in the world worldThere There are several respects in which the swamp would make a particularly useful and valuable reservation under federal or other auspices It is a refuge for some exceptionally rare and interest ¬ ing forms of animal life It is an important win ¬ tering ground for large numbers of migratory waterfowl It still contains in spite of extensive lumbering operations some 500 square miles of diversified territory in an absolutely primeval state offering to naturalists unsurpassed opportunities for faunal and biological studies Moreover it has a distinct esthetic value the extraordinary beauty of its scenery making a strong appeal to all lover of nature who have been privileged to visit the region regionWhile While the Okefinokee lias enjoyed historical and literary renown for over a century its biological features have been systematically investigated by men of scientific training only within a compara tely few years These men believe that in tlte eastern United States there is no area of equal ex ¬ tent which affords such exceptional opportunities for the study of animal life in a primeval environ ¬ ment With the rapid destruction of natural con ¬ ditions over the entire country they say it is of the utmost importance from the standpoint of science that at least a few areas here and there be preserved in thoir original state stateThere There are probably between 100 and 200 black bears in its swamp and immediate environments Other animals that have been noted in the region arts Florida deer Florida otters panthers Florida wolves alligators wildcats raccoons opossums and skunks as well as numerous rare and interesting yjMcies of fish and fowl fowlThe The wonderfully rich ml diverse plant life of the Okofinokop it is recorded constitutes one of its greatest charms and beauties And herein one may pirrcivo a veritable illustration of the curse of beauty for it is ilie magnificent timber of the swamp that furnishes its commercial value and has I invited destructive exploitation American Field I
