# *Field Report* Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge {#field-report-okefenokee-national-wildlife-refuge .unnumbered}

##  1.0 Summary

View of Okefenokee Swamp from Observation Tower

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The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in southeastern
Georgia at the Florida-Georgia state line. The eastern entrance is the
main USFWS entrance and is located southwest of Folkston, Georgia. The
west entrance, located east of Fargo, Georgia, is the primary access to
the Stephen C. Foster State Park. The north entrance, located south of
Waycross, Georgia, is the entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp Park, a
privately owned facility.

Okefenokee NWR was established in 1937 1) as a refuge for waterfowl and
2) to preserve the rare and beautiful Okefenokee Swamp. About 90 percent
of the 396,000 acres in the refuge are designated as a National
Wilderness Area. The Stephen C. Foster State Park, operated by the state
of Georgia, is located in the western portion of the refuge.

Okefenokee NWR is a bog inside a huge, saucer-shaped depression that was
once part of the ocean floor. The main outlet of the swamp, the Suwannee
River, begins in the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp and drains southwest
into the Gulf of Mexico. The St. Marys River, which forms the boundary
between Georgia and Florida, drains the southeastern portion of the
refuge.

The swamp is composed of islands, lakes, cypress forests, scrub-shrub
areas and open wet "prairies." The waters of the Okefenokee are
tea-colored due to tannic acid, which also make the swamp water nearly
as acidic as cola. The refuge remains one of the most well preserved
freshwater areas in America.

The refuge's primary goal is to protect wildlife and habitat, with a
secondary emphasis on educating the public on wildlife management and
providing recreational opportunities that are compatible with the
refuge's mission. In 1998, over 330,000 people visited the refuge. Most
of the visitors entered either the east or west entrance. During peak
season weekends, particularly during special events, the parking lots in
the refuge are filled to capacity.

The town of Folkston, Georgia, the gateway community located at the east
entrance to the refuge, is very interested in promoting ecotourism and
is planning an Educational Research Center in the downtown area. The
community would like to further connect the new community developments
with the refuge via a transit system.

The Okefenokee Swamp is one of the world's largest intact freshwater
ecosystems. It is known for having one of the most well balanced
ecological systems in existence. There are 621 species of plants growing
in the swamp, as well as 39 fish, 37 amphibians, 64 rep­tiles, 234 birds,
and 50 mammal species. The wildlife located in the refuge includes
threat­ened and endangered species, such as the Indigo Snake,
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Wood Stork, and Gopher Tortoise.

Billy's Island, in the western portion of the refuge, contains remnants
of an early 1900s logging community. The Chesser Island Homestead,
accessible from the Swamp Island Drive auto trail, is an historic
property that portrays the life of swamp pioneers in the early 1900s.

Recreational activities at the refuge include observing and
photographing wildlife, an auto tour, canoeing, hiking, guided tours,
fishing, special events and programs, and ecosystem education. Both the
Refuge and the State Park have a number of special events each year to
interpret their resources to the public.

Recommended Alternative Transportation Systems (ATS) include a bus
shuttle system that operates between the Educational Research Center and
the historic railroad station in Folkston, Georgia, and the Richard S.
Bolt Visitor Center in the eastern portion of the refuge, reinstitution
of the tram on Swamp Island Drive, and a bus shuttle system that
operates between Fargo, Georgia and the Stephen C. Foster State Park.

##  2.0 Background Information

### 2.1 Location

The Okefenokee NWR is located in southeastern Georgia in Charlton, Ware,
and Clinch Counties; and in northeastern Florida in Baker County. The
eastern entrance is the main USFWS entrance and is located about 11
miles southwest of Folkston, Georgia off Georgia Highway 121/23. The
west entrance is located 17 miles east of Fargo, Georgia off Highway
Spur 177 and is the primary access to the Stephen C. Foster State Park.
The north entrance is located eight miles south of Waycross, Georgia off
U.S. 1 and is the entrance to the Okefenokee Swamp Park (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Map of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

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### 2.2 Administration and Classification

Okefenokee NWR was established in 1937 by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt to preserve the rare and beautiful Okefenokee Swamp. About 90
percent of the 396,000 acres in the refuge are designated as a National
Wilderness Area. The Stephen C. Foster State Park, operated by the state
of Georgia, is located in the western portion of the refuge on
approximately 82 acres. Entrance fees to the refuge and State Park are
\$5.00 per vehicle and is good for admission for one week. The
management of Okefenokee NWR also man­ages the Banks Lake NWR, located to
the west of Fargo, Georgia.

The refuge has 30 full time employees. In addition, the refuge has an
active volunteer program. In fiscal year 1999, over 200 volunteers
provided nearly 16,000 hours of service for the refuge.

### 2.3 Physical Description

Okefenokee NWR is a vast bog inside a huge, saucer-shaped depression
that was once part of the ocean floor. The word "Okefenokee" is a
European rendition of the native American words meaning "land of the
trembling earth." Peat deposits up to 15 feet thick cover much of the
swamp floor. These deposits are so unstable in spots that a person can
cause trees and surrounding bushes to tremble by stomping the surface.
The main outlet of the swamp, the Suwannee River, begins in the heart of
the Okefenokee Swamp and drains southwest into the Gulf of Mexico. The
St. Marys River, which forms the boundary between Georgia and Florida,
drains the southeastern portion of the refuge.

The swamp is not one continuous type of habitat. Islands, lakes, cypress
forests, scrub-shrub areas, and open wet "prairies" form a mosaic of
habitats on which wildlife depend. Fire and water define the swamp's
habitats. Lakes and prairies are created after long droughts when fire
burns out vegetation and top layers of peat. The slow moving waters of
the Okefenokee are tea-colored due to the tannic acid released from
decaying plants, which also make the swamp water nearly as acidic as
cola.

Open Swamp Prairie

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The 396,000-acre refuge remains one of the most well preserved
freshwater areas in America. Approximately 90 percent of the refuge is
also designated as a National Wilderness Area, which further protects
the site.

### 2.4 Mission and Goals of the Refuge

As with most refuges, the Okefenokee NWR's primary goal is to protect
wildlife and habitat, with a secondary emphasis on educating the public
on wildlife management and providing recreational opportunities that are
compatible with the refuge's mission. The refuge also has developed some
objectives to guide its resource management. A summary of these
objectives follows:

-   To provide protection to the unique environmental qualities of the
    Okefenokee ecosystem;

-   To provide optimum habitat and protection for endangered and
    threatened species;

-   To provide optimum habitat for a wide diversity of fish, birds,
    mammals, reptiles, and amphibians; and

-   To provide opportunities for fish and wildlife-oriented recreation,
    interpretation, and environmental education.

### 2.5 Visitation Levels and Visitor Profile

The Okefenokee NWR has the sixteenth highest visitation level of the
refuges in the NWR system. Visitation at the refuge in 1998, 330,000
people, was higher than the 1997 visita­tion level, but lower than other
years in the mid-1990s. The visitation was equally split between the
east and west entrances, with approximately 128,000 visitors at each
entrance, although the refuge considers the east entrance the primary
entrance for the refuge. The north entrance had approximately 74,000
visitors. The peak season for visitation to the refuge is February
through May. Visitors normally stay in only one area of the refuge
(east, west, or north) during a visit. A day visitor to the east
entrance will normally leave the area after his day in the refuge is
completed.

The visitors in the Stephen C. Foster State Park (west entrance) are
both day visitors and overnight campers. Visitors who stay in the cabins
or campgrounds usually stay two to three days. The peak visitation
period at the State Park is March through May. The State Park
experiences full parking lots on 20 to 24 days during their peak season.

While the majority (57 percent) of the visitors to the refuge (including
the State Park) come from Florida and Georgia, approximately 13 percent
come from northern Atlantic coast states, 12 percent come from the
central United States, and nine percent are from the mid southern
states. Approximately four percent of the visitors come from foreign
countries and the remainder comes from other states in the United
States.

Stephen C. Foster State Park

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Visitor activities at the refuge include observing and photographing
wildlife, an auto tour, canoeing, hiking, guided tours, fishing, special
events and programs, and ecosystem edu­cation. Guided boat tours through
the Okefenokee Swamp are popular, with over 6,000 visitors taking the
guided tours during peak months. The Swamp Island Drive is also very
popular with visitors. Visitors may also paddle their own canoes or
rental canoes on daily or overnight canoe trails.

Although the refuge has 120 miles of canoe trails, visitors are
concentrated in a relatively small portion of the refuge in order to
accomplish its primary mission -- wildlife manage­ment. The area is being
promoted for ecotourism and that is expected to increase tourism
significantly in the future. Management plans indicate that the refuge
could accommo­date nearly 800,000 annual visitors. The capacity of the
State Park (which is included in the 800,000) is about 180,000 annual
visitors.

##  3.0 Existing Conditions, Issues and Concerns

### 3.1 Transportation Conditions, Issues and Concerns

There are three major entrances to the Okefenokee NWR. The east entrance
is located 11 miles southwest of Folkston, Georgia off Georgia
Highway 121/23. This is the main USFWS entrance and provides access to
Swamp Island Drive, the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center, hiking trails,
boardwalk and tower, boating trails, guided boat tours, motor boat and
canoe rentals, and a restored homestead.

The 300-space parking lot for the Visitor Center also serves the
concession for the boat rentals and boat tours. The Visitor Center is
located away from the parking lot and is eas­ily overlooked by visitors
that are using the concession. During peak season weekends, particularly
during events, the parking lot is filled to capacity, as are other
parking facili­ties in the refuge. On average weekends, the lot is
approximately half full. Refuge offi­cials estimate that if visitors
parked and used mass transit to access Swamp Island Drive, the lot would
be approximately three-fourths filled. During the annual Okefenokee
Festival, buses are rented for guided tours of Swamp Island Drive.
However, the drive is narrow and a bus and car cannot pass without one
of the vehicles leaving the road. The refuge used trams to shuttle
visitors around the nine-mile Swamp Island Drive between 1978 and 1982,
which provided an interpretive tour of the refuge. The trams were
aban­doned in 1982 due to maintenance problems and lack of staff. While
this saved costs, the visitor experience suffered as they lost the
interpretation of the guided tour.

The west entrance is located 17 miles east of Fargo, Georgia off Georgia
Highway Spur 177. The State Park contains boardwalks, boating trails,
fishing, guided boat tours, motorboat and canoe rentals, camping,
cabins, interpretive programs, and a museum. During peak season
weekends, the State Park parking facilities are also filled to capacity.
Park officials estimate that this occurs approximately 20 to 24 days
during the peak sea­son, which is nearly every weekend from March to May.

The north entrance is located eight miles south of Waycross, Georgia off
U.S. 1. This is the location of the Okefenokee Swamp Park, a privately
owned facility containing interpretive displays, boardwalk and tower,
boat tours, animal habitats, and lectures.

There is an unpaved perimeter road around the entire refuge, just
outside the refuge boundary. It is 170 miles long and is gated so
unauthorized persons cannot gain access to the road. The refuge
maintains the bridges and the landowners and refuge maintain the
roadway.

There is no scheduled transit service in the area, but the Southeast
Georgia Regional Development Center provides demand-responsive
transportation to elderly persons in the area.

### 3.2 Community Development Conditions, Issues and Concerns

The primary gateway community to the refuge is the town of Folkston,
Georgia. The state of Georgia awarded Folkston the "Better Hometown"
award in 1999, which designates Folkston as a preferred community to
live in. The town has about 2,300 population, and Charlton County has
about 9,200 persons. The city of Folkston markets itself as the "Gateway
to the Okefenokee" and is in the process of developing new attractions
to boost the tourist length of stay in the area. The new tourist
developments in the city of Folkston include the Educational Research
Center and the Historic Train Station. The privately funded Educational
Research Center will be constructed in an old school building in
downtown Folkston and will focus on the Okefenokee Swamp environment.
The Educational Research Center will provide environmental education
displays, classrooms, and laboratories for students throughout the
state.

The town would like to have a transit system that connects the
Educational Research Center with the refuge, with stops at other local
attractions. Folkston has an historic rail­road station that could serve
as a transportation hub in the community, as well as a local attraction.
The city would also like to see visitors park their cars at the train
station, or Educational Research Center, and bicycle or take transit to
the refuge.

Former School Building to House New Educational Research Center

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The city and refuge have a good relationship and the refuge welcomes
increased visitation prompted by the city's economic development efforts
if increased tourism does not over­burden the refuge's resources.

It has been estimated that the economic impact of tourism in Charlton,
Ware, and Clinch Counties in Georgia is over \$77 million. The specific
economic impact of the refuge was not isolated, but it is estimated to
be a large share of this figure.

The rural community of Fargo, Georgia also is interested in taking
advantage of the resources of the refuge to help boost its economy.

### 3.3 Natural or Cultural Resource Conditions, Issues and Concerns

The Okefenokee Swamp is one of the world's largest intact freshwater
ecosystems, with over 350,000 acres of the refuge designated as Class 1
Wilderness. It is known for having one of the most well-balanced
ecological systems in existence and has been designated a Wetland of
International Importance by the United Nations in 1981. The swamp is
world renowned for its amphibian populations that are bio-indicators of
global health.

The Suwannee Canal Company purchased most of the Okefenokee Swamp from
the state of Georgia in 1891. Their intent was to drain the land for
logging and to grow crops. The company spent three years digging the
Suwannee Canal over 11 miles into the swamp. The company was sold to the
Hebard Cypress Company in 1899 and a railroad was built into the west
edge of the swamp to assist in logging operations. Logging operations
ceased in 1927 after hundreds of millions of board feet of lumber,
primarily cypress, was removed from the area. In addition to the remains
of elevated railroad stakes, there are scattered remnants of the logging
community that was created on Billy's Island.

Another historic resource is the Chesser Island Homestead, accessed from
Swamp Island Drive. This homestead was built by the Chesser family in
1927 and serves as an example of swamp pioneer lifestyle during that
period. The family lived off the land by hunting, tending livestock and
beehives, and growing a garden, with their only cash crops being sugar
cane from which they made cane syrup.

Chesser Family House

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The refuge staff and volunteers work to preserve the natural qualities
of the swamp, pro­vide habitat for a variety of wildlife, and provide
recreational opportunities for visitors. Brochures, exhibits,
audio/visual aids and other media are available at the refuge
inter­pretive center and along trails to inform and educate visitors
about the refuge wildlife, as well as the unique environmental qualities
of the Okefenokee Swamp.

The staff research a number of the resources of the refuge, ranging from
bacteria to black bears. They also conduct wildlife censuses, vegetative
transects, and water level surveys. The refuge also conducts prescribed
burns in upland areas, thin forests, create wildlife openings, and plant
longleaf pines. The staff monitors, manages, and improves wildlife
populations and habitat, placing special emphasis on endangered species.

As the refuge contains a variety of habitats, there is an abundance of
plants and animals located in the refuge. There are 621 species of
plants growing in the swamp, as well as 39 fish, 37 amphibians, 64
reptiles, 234 birds, and 50 mammal species. Plantlife includes pine and
hardwood forests, cypress forests, water oak, wild grape, carnivorous
pitcher plants, and bladderworts. The wildlife located in the refuge
includes threatened and endangered species, such as the Indigo Snake,
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, Wood Stork, and Gopher Tortoise. Other wildlife
that is found in the refuge includes Black Bear, Gray Fox, Long-Tailed
Weasel, Mink, River Otter, Bobcat, White-Tailed Deer, Sandhill Crane,
and Great Blue Heron.

The main thrust of the refuge's vegetation management activities in
upland areas is the restoration, management, and protection of longleaf
pine communities. This habitat has degraded over the years and is a
habitat that supports a vast association of wildlife spe­cies. Much of
the refuge's wildlife management activities in uplands centers around
the endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker.

A five-year study was initiated in 1995 to analyze the black bear
population in the area. This study is being done by the refuge, United
States Geological Survey Biological Resource Division, University of
Tennessee, and the University of Florida. The objectives of the study
are to determine population size, density, reproduction and mortality
rates, food habits, and habitat use in order to formulate best
management practices.

Pine Forest in Uplands

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The proposed DuPont titanium dioxide strip mine, adjacent to the
refuge's eastern boundary, threatens to permanently alter the swamp's
hydrology, impact endangered species, and affect the wilderness
experience of thousands of visitors. The refuge antici­pates that the
runoff from the strip mine will flow into the refuge. The DuPont Company
is continuing with their plan to mine, despite protests by federal and
state agencies and a variety of environmental organizations. According
to a nationwide survey, 78 percent of Americans oppose the DuPont
project.

The refuge engages in both prescribed burning and firefighting.
Firefighting in the refuge is very difficult due to the extensive swamp
area. Fires must be detected very early in order to be extinguished
fairly quickly. Fires that are started naturally are usually left to
burn unless they begin to leave the refuge and threaten private land.
The Greater Okefenokee Association of Landowners (GOAL), consisting of
individuals, agencies, and companies that own property adjacent to the
refuge, was formed in the early 1990s to improve communications among
and between surrounding landowners, particularly when a fire threatens
to leave the refuge and enter private property. The refuge has
con­structed dip sites every few miles around the refuge, which are open
ponds that allow helicopters to fill dip buckets during firefighting
procedures.

Resource damage from visitors is minimal. Most of the damage is
temporary, such as trash that is scattered instead of deposited in
receptacles. Due to noise and exhaust emis­sions, the refuge no longer
allows buses or other vehicles with diesel engines to idle in parking
lots. Other damage is created by cars that get stuck in ditches when
parking lots are filled. Most of the resource damage in the refuge is
created from outside sources, such as emissions from smokestacks,
chicken farms, pesticides and herbicides.

### 3.4 Recreation Conditions, Issues and Concerns

Recreational activities at the refuge include observing and
photographing wildlife, an auto tour, canoeing, hiking, guided tours,
fishing, special events and programs, and ecosystem education. Overnight
camping is permitted only on overnight canoe trips or at designated
areas in the Stephen C. Foster State Park that is located within the
refuge. There are 120 miles of boat trails in the refuge, accessible by
canoe. A portion of the boat trails is also open to small boats with a
10 horsepower outboard motor limitation. Approximately 25 miles of the
boat trails are accessible from the State Park.

Concessionaire Boats and Building (Left) and Boat Tour (Right)

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The Swamp Island Drive is a nine-mile round-trip driving, biking, and
walking loop with a number of stops along the drive to experience the
resources of the refuge, including the Suwannee Canal, wildlife and
plantlife observation points, the Chesser Island Homestead, and a
boardwalk and observation tower.

Guided boat tours are very popular in the refuge and State Park. In
April 1999, over 6,000 visitors took advantage of the guided boat tours
in the Refuge, State Park, and Okefenokee Swamp Park.

The refuge has a number of special annual events for the public. These
include:

+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   February            | Wings Over the Swamp Festival              |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   March               | St. Marys River Clean-up                   |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   April               | National Wildlife Week Celebration/Earth   |
|                         | Day Art Festival                           |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   May                 | International Migratory Bird Day           |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   June                | National Fishing Day                       |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   October             | National Wildlife Refuge Week              |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
|                         | Okefenokee Festival                        |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
|                         | Halloween Program                          |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
|                         | Deer Hunting                               |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   December            | Yule Log Ceremony                          |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+

The 82-acre Stephen C. Foster State Park contains 66 tent, trailer and
RV sites, nine cot­tages, picnic shelters, pioneer camping, boat ramp and
rental, nature trails, boat trails, and an interpretive center and
museum. The State Park is unable to increase its facilities as there is
no land available for expansion within the 82-acre site. The camping
areas are filled about 20 to 24 days each year. As natural resources in
camping areas become dam­aged, those camping areas are closed for the
winter. In addition, the State Park has several annual events scheduled
throughout the year:

+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   March               | Birding Weekend                            |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   April               | Wildflower Weekend                         |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   June                | Reptile Weekend                            |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
| -   November            | Man in the Swamp                           |
+-------------------------+--------------------------------------------+

There are sometimes conflicts between the canoeists and the small
outboard boaters. The canoeists feel that the outboard motors are
violating the sanctity of the area. Approxi­mately 41 percent of the boat
trails are off limits to mechanically powered boats.

##  4.0 Planning and Coordination

### 4.1 Unit Plans

The Okefenokee NWR has developed an Interpretive Concept Plan that calls
for a major renovation of the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center. The plan
identifies major themes and subthemes, interactive exhibits, and
multimedia programs. The traffic patterns will also be reviewed in order
to get more visitors into the center. The renovation is anticipated to
be completed in fall 2000.

In the eastern area, the refuge also plans to resurface Swamp Island
Drive and to rebuild the tram shelters that are alongside the drive. The
boardwalk accessed from the drive will also be rebuilt. The concession
building will be replaced and a new boardwalk may be added in the area.

The refuge recently completed an Environmental Assessment to examine the
impacts of removing all or part of the Suwannee River Sill. The sill was
constructed to try to hold water back in the swamp to reduce the
potential of wildfire. The sill only affected water levels in a small
portion of the swamp. It was decided that a phased removal of the sill
was the recommended alternative. The effects of implementing this
alternative will be examined in more detail in the future before
implementation of the plan is begun.

The refuge will be investigating the possibility of constructing another
entrance road to access the State Park on the west side of the refuge.
This is in part due to the evacuation needs during wildfires. A
satellite park to the Stephen C. Foster State Park may be con­structed
near Fargo, Georgia. This satellite park will not be constructed on
refuge property.

The current Refuge Management Plan was developed in 1980. This plan will
be revised in 2001. A Public Use Management Plan was developed in 1981.
This plan was amended in 1994.

### 4.2 Public and Agency Coordination

The refuge has formed a number of partnerships to assist in
accomplishing its mission. The refuge leases the 82-acre site of the
Stephen C. Foster State Park to the state of Georgia. The lease is for a
period of 50 years and includes only the land. The state of Georgia owns
the buildings in the State Park.

The Suwannee Basin Interagency Alliance includes the NWR, along with a
number of fed­eral, state of Georgia, and state of Florida agencies that
are concerned with the refuge. The purpose of the Alliance is to promote
effective communication and coordination, and develop a comprehensive
natural resources plan for the Suwannee Basin.

The Tri-Agency Agreement was executed by the NWR, Osceola National
Forest, and Cumberland Island National Seashore. The purpose of this
agreement is to provide for mutual assistance among the three agencies
in the form of personnel, services, and equipment required for wildfire
prevention/suppression, prescribed burning, resource management, law
enforcement, and the protection of life and property due to natural
disasters.

GOAL, consisting of individuals, agencies, and companies that own
property adjacent to the refuge, was formed in the early 1990s to
improve communications among and between surrounding landowners,
particularly when a fire threatens to leave the refuge and enter private
property. GOAL has also worked together on other issues, including black
bears, roads, and bridges.

The Okefenokee Wildlife League (OWL) is a nonprofit cooperating
association organized to promote better understanding, appreciation, and
conservation of the natural history and natural environment of the
refuge. OWL has a bookstore in the Visitor Center and profits from the
bookstore help to fund public use and research programs.

The NWR also partners with Zoo Atlanta to promote the refuge at the zoo.
The zoo has constructed a building that contains exhibits about the
refuge and also hosts an annual Okefenokee Swamp Festival at the zoo.

The refuge also has exhibits promoting the refuge at local fairs,
including Valdosta and Waycross, and at annual outdoor events, including
the Buck-a-rama and Fish-a-rama held in both Atlanta and Perry, Georgia.

The refuge has an agreement with the Georgia Statewide Academic and
Medical Systems (GSAMS) to provide interpretive programming that is
transmitted by satellites to schools. Children can ask questions and the
refuge can provide immediate answers to those ques­tions. In a similar
nature, Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) came to the refuge in 1995 and
conducted a four-day live interactive program that was televised to
students around the nation. The refuge hosted a number of guest speakers
and also broadcast the program over the Internet.

The universities and colleges of Florida and Georgia, along with other
schools around the United States, conduct research within the swamp and
its surrounding ecosystem.

The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of the Interior have
renewed an agreement to allow at-risk juveniles to live, work, and go to
school on wildlife refuges in exchange for a manual labor force. The
Youth Environmental Services (YES) program is in the pre-planning stages
and should be operational soon.

Egret in Swamp

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##  5.0 Assessment of Need

### 5.1 Magnitude of Need

Alternative transportation may have the potential to enhance the
experience of visitors to the refuge, as well as protecting the
resources within the refuge. As parking appears to be the primary
transportation-related problem associated with the Refuge and the State
Park, opportunities to reduce the need to use private motor vehicles to
access the refuge and attractions within the refuge could reduce impacts
on refuge resources. This could also enhance the visitor experience by
providing interpretive programs as part of the shuttle service and to
ensure that the visitor will gain access to the facilities.

### 5.2 Feasible Alternatives

-   A bus shuttle system that operates between the Educational Research
    Center and the historic railroad station in Folkston, Georgia, and
    the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center in the eastern portion of the
    refuge. The shuttle system would operate primarily on weekends
    throughout the year and will also be available for visiting school
    groups. The shuttle would be operated by an interpretive guide who
    provides information about the refuge during the trip. During peak
    periods when parking is unavailable, ITS signs would be located in
    Folkston and at the refuge entrance that would direct visitors to
    the parking facilities in Folkston. The sign would inform visitors
    that parking is unavailable at the refuge and that access to the
    refuge is by shuttle only.

-   Reinstitution of the tram on Swamp Island Drive. The tram would
    operate from the Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center in the eastern
    portion of the refuge and transport visitors along Swamp Island
    Drive. Visitors may leave the shuttle at designated stopping points
    along the drive and pick up the tram at a later time. The tram
    operator would provide interpretive information about Swamp Island
    Drive, as well as the remainder of the refuge during the tour. It is
    suggested that the tram is the only motorized vehi­cle allowed on the
    drive, but bicyclists and pedestrians are welcome. As peak season
    weekends will result in filled refuge parking facilities, this
    alternative will require either the construction of additional
    parking facilities at the refuge, or the implemen­tation of the first
    alternative, as well.

-   A bus shuttle system that operates between Fargo, Georgia and the
    Stephen C. Foster State Park. This shuttle would operate only during
    peak season weekends. The shut­tle would be operated by an
    interpretive guide who provides information about the State Park and
    the refuge during the trip. A parking facility/Visitor Center would
    need to be designated in Fargo. During peak periods when parking is
    unavailable, ITS signs would be located in Fargo and at the southern
    terminus of Georgia Highway Spur 177 that would direct visitors to
    the parking facilities in Fargo. The sign would inform visitors that
    parking is unavailable at the State Park and that access is by
    shut­tle only.

##  6.0 Bibliography

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, brochure on Stephen C. Foster
State Park. Fargo, Georgia, 1998.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Web site from USFWS home page,
Folkston, Georgia, 1999.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brochures on Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge. Folkston, Georgia, 1999.

Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce, brochure on Okefenokee National Wildlife
Refuge. Folkston, Georgia, undated.

Okefenokee Swamp Park, brochure on Okefenokee Swamp Park. Waycross,
Georgia, undated.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brochures on Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge -- Bird List. Folkston, Georgia, 1998.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brochures on Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge -- Amphibians, Fish, and Reptiles List. Folkston,
Georgia, 1998.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brochures on Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge -- Swamp Walk Trail Guide. Folkston, Georgia, 1999.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brochures on Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge -- the Swamp Island Drive Trail Guide. Folkston,
Georgia, 1999.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, brochures on Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge -- Wilderness Canoeing. Folkston, Georgia, undated.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Amended Public Use Plan. Folkston,
Georgia, undated.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, miscellaneous papers on Okefenokee
National Wildlife Refuge -- Population Ecology of Black Bears, Red
Cockaded Woodpeckers, GOAL, Fire Management, Upland Forest Management,
Economic Impact, Suwannee River Sill, Environmental Education Project,
Partners, Proposed Titanium Strip Mine, Significance. Folkston, Georgia,
undated.

##  7.0 List of Persons Interviewed

Skippy Reeves, Refuge Manager, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Melinda Gautreaux, Assistant Refuge Manager, Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge

Maggie O'Connell, Public Use Specialist, Okefenokee National Wildlife
Refuge

Jim Burkhart, Refuge Ranger, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Shaw Davis, Deputy Project Leader, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Dixie McGurn, Mayor, City of Folkston

Sonny Marshall, Manager, Stephen C. Foster State Park