Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia Designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site

WHO:

AJC.com - Kim Bednarek, executive director of Okefenokee Swamp Park & Okefenokee Adventures

AJC.com - Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia

AJC.com - U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff

AJC.com - Tracie Revis, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation

WHAT:

AJC.com - The Okefenokee Swamp was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

AJC.com - The Okefenokee is the first World Heritage destination in Georgia and the 27th site in the U.S.

AJC.com - The swamp covers more than 400,000 acres and is home to over 1,270 species of plants and animals.

AJC.com - The swamp was first earmarked as a potential World Heritage site in 1982 and officially nominated in 2024.

AJC.com - The inscription is the first natural site in the U.S. added to the list in over 30 years.

AJC.com - The nomination included a 266-page dossier detailing the swamp's natural bounties.

WHERE:

AJC.com - The Okefenokee Swamp is located in southeast Georgia.

AJC.com - The World Heritage Committee meeting took place in Busan, South Korea.

WHEN:

AJC.com - The Okefenokee Swamp was officially nominated for World Heritage status in 2024.

AJC.com - The swamp was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List during the committee's 48th annual session.

WHY:

AJC.com - The designation aims to protect the swamp and promote tourism and economic growth in Southeast Georgia.

AJC.com - The nomination was supported by a coalition of conservationists, scientists, government officials, and local residents.

HOW:

AJC.com - The swamp's nomination received a key endorsement from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

AJC.com - The nomination process involved proving the swamp's "outstanding universal value" to the World Heritage Committee.

(UPDATED July 25, 2026 16:20 UTC)

The Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia has been officially designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, marking it as the first World Heritage destination in Georgia and the 27th site in the United States. This significant recognition, which aims to protect the swamp and boost tourism and economic growth in the region, was announced during the World Heritage Committee's 48th annual session in Busan, South Korea. The swamp, covering over 400,000 acres and home to more than 1,270 species of plants and animals, was nominated in 2024 with strong support from a coalition of conservationists, scientists, government officials, and local residents.