Wilmington, DE, Aug. 27--DuPont today announced that it is donating approximately 16,000 acres of land, immediately adjacent to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Georgia, to The Conservation Fund.
The donation is the largest in the history of the DuPont Land Legacy program.
DuPont acquired the land in 1991 and 1996 with the intent to mine titanium ore safely and in an environmentally sound manner from the site. In light of public concerns about the project, DuPont announced in 1997 that it would defer activities related to the proposed surface mining operation and explore options for the property. DuPont established a Collaborative Process Core Group of local community officials; local NGOs; landowners; mining, tourism and wood fiber interests; elected officials and Native Americans. In 1999 the Collaborative Process Core Group recommended a "no mining" option for the land. The donation represents a culmination of that process and a cooperative effort among DuPont, the Conservation Fund and International Paper.
"We believe that our donation of DuPont land in and near Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a concrete example of 'walking the talk' with regard to our company's commitment to sustainable growth and social responsibility," said DuPont Chairman and CEO Charles O. Holliday, Jr. "The refuge is an ecological treasure. Through the good work of our partner, the Conservation Fund, we are confident that the land we are donating will be properly and permanently protected. We are also grateful to all the stakeholders who participated in the collaborative process that helped us reach this very positive outcome."
"The Okefenokee Swamp, its world-class wetlands and magnificent forestland, is a natural wonder to be treasured by all Americans," said Larry Selzer, president of The Conservation Fund. "With this extraordinary gift, DuPont once again demonstrates its unparalleled commitment to corporate responsibility, sustainable growth and the balance of economic and environmental objectives."
International Paper currently has the land's wood fiber and recreational rights. It is amending its original agreement with DuPont to further protect the land by permanently relinquishing acquisition rights, which will prevent mining of the property in the future. International Paper will maintain a working forest on the property in a manner that ensures biodiversity, maintains recreational opportunities, and helps the local economy.
The donation of 15,985 acres is the largest land donation in the history of the DuPont Land Legacy Program, which since 1994 has placed nearly 18,000 other acres of company land into permanently protected status. The largest prior donation was in 1997 and totaled 7,700 acres near Brevard, NC, at the site of what is now North Carolina's DuPont State Forest. That donation was also to The Conservation Fund.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1937 to preserve the 438,000-acre Okefenokee Swamp. The refuge encompasses approximately 396,000 acres. The interior 353,981 acres of the refuge were designated a National Wilderness Area in 1974. The swamp remains one of the oldest and most well preserved freshwater areas in America and is recognized as a site of global ecological importance.
