The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia faces the prospect of a titanium dioxide mine near its border.

Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals aims to mine titanium and zirconium near Trail Ridge, sparking environmental concerns about potential ecological harm to the area.

Christian Hunt, senior federal lands policy analyst for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, warned mining could threaten the ecosystem and its diverse species. He said the Okefenokee also holds broader significance, playing a critical role in fighting the effects of climate change.

"It will lower the water table of the swamp, which would fundamentally change the habitat for all sorts of species," Hunt pointed out. "If mining is to occur, periods of drought will be worsened in the swamp, exposing it to catastrophic fires."

Georgia's Environmental Protection Division granted draft permits to the mining company in February, allowing it to establish an 820-acre mine within a three-mile radius of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Defenders of Wildlife is among about 40 groups in a new Okefenokee Protection Alliance, bringing together thousands of voices against the project.

Ben Prater, Southeast program director for Defenders of Wildlife, said projects like this are often justified for national security or technological advancement. But he noted the potential harm to the Okefenokee outweighs the value of the minerals extracted.

"It's important to know that this mine is going after titanium dioxide, which is nothing more than a pigment we use to make our paint white, make our toothpaste white," Prater asserted. "It's in no way something that's so vital that we have to obtain that we put a world-class treasure like the Okefenokee at risk. "

Prater highlighted the uphill battle to safeguard the Okefenokee, citing the loss of crucial federal protections. He stressed it is more than opposition to the proposed mine and called for longer-term solutions.

"This is just the latest iteration of a threat that's been against the Okefenokee for decades," Prater contended. "What we're seeking and hoping to see is a permanent solution, encouraging the federal government to assert its reserved water rights to protect the integrity of the refuge."

The public comment period is set to close April 9. Defenders of Wildlife has added a link to its website so people can directly submit comments to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

It's that time of year, when a strong winter storm might produce giant waves along Lake Superior shorelines that aren't frozen over.

Minnesota researchers are looking at how to harness those forces and turn them into usable energy. Superior's waves can sometimes top out at 10 to 15 feet in height before crashing into the shore.

University of Minnesota Duluth Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Craig Hill and his team have been looking into wave pattern data to learn just how powerful they can be.

Additional work will focus on deploying efficient devices that can convert wave energy into storable electrical energy. Hill said the Great Lakes region is a good "testing lab."

"We occasionally get these big storms," said Hill, "where we could, if the technologies were out there, we could power tens of thousands of homes from the waves in those storms."

Hill said one challenge is that Great Lakes waves are more intermittent compared to coastal areas on either side of the U.S.

He said those regions are seeing acceleration of this type of work, but noted that Superior can still be an ally in the movement, especially for testing.

He added that if the technology is perfected, waves could be one of many sources used in the transition away from fossil fuels.

Climate change is resulting in less ice cover on Lake Superior. Hill suggested that they can take that unfortunate impact and turn it into an opportunity.

"That has a big impact on the wave conditions," said Hill. "That has a big impact on the coastlines around the Great Lakes. And so, there might be opportunities to test out the devices year-round in the coming future here, on Lake Superior."

Hill said securing enough research funding is another challenge.

And before this technology is turned into a commercial-scale option, experts will have to ensure fish, aquatic mammals and shorelines aren't negativity impacted.




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This week, four tribal nations and environmental groups urged the Michigan Court of Appeals to overturn the state's approval of Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel project.

Attorneys for the groups argued the pipeline expansion threatens the Great Lakes and disregards tribal and ecological concerns. They are asking the state to consider a wider range of alternatives to the dual pipelines that carry crude oil and natural gas liquids beneath the Straits of Mackinac.

Carrie La Seur, legal director of the group For Love of Water in Traverse City, said the aging pipelines pose a real spill risk to lakes Michigan and Huron, citing Michigan's Environmental Protection Act for support.

"We argued that Michigan's Environmental Protection Act requires a really comprehensive look at feasible and prudent alternatives to any action that would create environmental damage," La Seur explained.

Enbridge released a statement saying in part the state's decision to approve the application for the Great Lakes Tunnel Project came after a tremendous investment of time and deliberation by the Michigan Public Service Commission and staff. For nearly four years they carefully examined the complex issue and considered many viewpoints, questions, concerns and ideas.

La Seur said the pipeline project is massive and unprecedented, involving drilling more than 300 feet beneath the land and extending more than four miles. She warned it could create even greater risks and complications.

"It would be transporting flammable product. It would require a lot of very challenging maintenance if there were ever a problem. Any type of spill cleanup would be extremely challenging," La Seur outlined. "There are all kinds of reasons why this tunnel presents some unique challenges."

The court has yet to make a decision in the case. Enbridge also needs a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which delayed its review of the project in 2023. The Corps plans to release its draft environmental report this spring.


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The U.S. Forest Service is facing a lawsuit from Montana conservation groups for authorizing a major logging project in a critical wildlife habitat. The Round Star logging project, located 13 miles west of Whitefish, would cover over 9,000 acres of forest land in an area inhabited by Canada lynx and grizzly bears. Both are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, which means they should take priority in logging plans.

Steve Kelly, president of the Council of Wildlife and Fish, is one of the plaintiffs.

"It's already been logged heavily, so we're really talking about some of the last places that lynx can even survive locally, never mind connectivity from one place to another," he said.

According to Alliance for the Wild Rockies, the Round Star project doesn't properly take into account the cumulative effects of nearby projects, which total about 42,000 acres of logging and burning and 100 miles of new roads.

A federal court judge in 2023 ruled against the Forest Service on a project in the Kootenai National Forest that similarly threatened grizzly bear habitats. Kelly wonders why the agency continues to attempt passing projects without adequate analysis of their effects.

"The court now is quite adept at figuring out who's doing what and why and applying the law. So there's really not much wiggle room anymore for the agencies to slide one by," he continued.

Canada lynx require habitat with dense forests and deep snow that also support populations of snowshoe hare, which make up about 75% of the lynx diet.


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