Jon Ossoff is a blessing to be blessed. He works tirelessly on behalf of the people of Georgia. And, he has this “radical” idea that public servants ought to serve the public. The Republicans call that socialism and I have no doubt that they’ll spend the next eighteen months trying to paint Senator Ossoff as some wild-eyed radical who wants to raise taxes on everyone while unleashing murderous foreigners on the poor, unsuspecting people of Georgia. The Republicans excel when it comes to lying and don’t trust any politician who hasn’t been bought and paid for by the big corporations. As for me, I see a Senator who actually gives a damn about the people who elected him. What we need, are more Jon Ossoffs and fewer Trumpanzees.
Google maps says there’s an Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, but didn’t show boundaries. Is this newly protected land adjacent? And could it be added to the NWF?
Awesome that it’s also being considered for UNESCO!
It could be added to the NWR, but I doubt that will happen under this administration. If I were the Conservation Fund I'd hang on to it until a friendlier administration came into power.
YOU are taking credit for this win - win conservation agreement and real estate transaction? Sounds very self serving, don't you think? And to be clear in return: your constant, extreme, bitter, aggressive, the sky is falling approach is a real turn-off to hundreds of thousands of moderate conservationists like myself. With it, you are likely reducing the potential for conservation support & funding by HALF! If the content, tone and volume of your messaging is true, that would be very problematic. Your passion for our public lands is no greater than mine, but after following you for some time, I'm not convinced that your very public and self-serving doom & gloom rhetoric & messaging isn't detrimental to achieving far greater, optimal, support and funding from a far greater base of people who are equally passionate about conserving our public lands. Your occasional, best-in-class, wonderful videos are far more impactful to the silent majority, who represent significant new sources of support and funding, than your passionate but tired, predictable, extreme daily rhetoric.
Let’s get something straight, I’m not personally taking credit. The conservation community won this. The only reason this mine didn’t happen is because thousands of people made it too politically toxic and reputationally dangerous to move forward. I’m one small voice in that fight, and damn proud to be part of it.
And let me add this: I’m not some knee-jerk partisan with a grudge. I worked with the last Trump administration to help pass the Great American Outdoors Act and was proud to do it. This isn’t personal. It’s factual. Since January 20th 2025, we’ve seen an unprecedented assault on public lands and environmental protections, not in rhetoric, but in action. I speak up because I love these places, and I’m watching an administration try to dismantle them in real time.
You keep acting like tone is the problem. It’s not. The problem is the people trying to drain swamps, sell off forests, and gut the laws that protect them. If you’re more upset about someone raising their voice than you are about a mining company digging up a national treasure, maybe you should sit with that for a minute.
You don’t like the tone? That’s fine. But don’t confuse discomfort with ineffectiveness. People speaking out worked. That swamp is still protected because people raised hell.
Amazing what can be accomplished when you don’t sit around bitching & moaning 24/7 with extreme, aggressive, the sky is falling, doom & gloom language rooted in nothing but unwarranted bitterness instead of authentic, prioritized, focused action. People who proactively search for compromise often find middle ground, bi-partisan support and the funding needed to actually make the world go round. Certainly worth reflection on this website & newsletter! Rob S. from Georgia
Ah yes, Rob S. from Georgia, here to scold the very people who actually stopped the mine.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t saved by compromise. It was saved by pressure. Lawsuits, outrage, organizing. The kind of loud, sustained pushback that made it politically and reputationally untenable for Twin Pines to move forward. They knew they’d be forever branded as the company that ruined something millions of people loved.
Now we need that to happen for the Boundary Waters
Exactly! Wouldn't that be amazing.
Jon Ossoff is a blessing to be blessed. He works tirelessly on behalf of the people of Georgia. And, he has this “radical” idea that public servants ought to serve the public. The Republicans call that socialism and I have no doubt that they’ll spend the next eighteen months trying to paint Senator Ossoff as some wild-eyed radical who wants to raise taxes on everyone while unleashing murderous foreigners on the poor, unsuspecting people of Georgia. The Republicans excel when it comes to lying and don’t trust any politician who hasn’t been bought and paid for by the big corporations. As for me, I see a Senator who actually gives a damn about the people who elected him. What we need, are more Jon Ossoffs and fewer Trumpanzees.
Google maps says there’s an Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, but didn’t show boundaries. Is this newly protected land adjacent? And could it be added to the NWF?
Awesome that it’s also being considered for UNESCO!
It could be added to the NWR, but I doubt that will happen under this administration. If I were the Conservation Fund I'd hang on to it until a friendlier administration came into power.
❤️
Hi Will and More Than family! It must mean something when I’m in Jamaica and get a note from a subscriber (since 1995!) in Delaware saying:
“Hello, my dear Audrey:
Reading “More Than Just Parks”, I immediately thought of you and your Joy Train news. Then I read your newsletter today, https://audreypeterman.substack.com/p/the-okefenokee-model-of-protecting. At the very least, the word is getting to more people. Thank you!
Amazing!
YOU are taking credit for this win - win conservation agreement and real estate transaction? Sounds very self serving, don't you think? And to be clear in return: your constant, extreme, bitter, aggressive, the sky is falling approach is a real turn-off to hundreds of thousands of moderate conservationists like myself. With it, you are likely reducing the potential for conservation support & funding by HALF! If the content, tone and volume of your messaging is true, that would be very problematic. Your passion for our public lands is no greater than mine, but after following you for some time, I'm not convinced that your very public and self-serving doom & gloom rhetoric & messaging isn't detrimental to achieving far greater, optimal, support and funding from a far greater base of people who are equally passionate about conserving our public lands. Your occasional, best-in-class, wonderful videos are far more impactful to the silent majority, who represent significant new sources of support and funding, than your passionate but tired, predictable, extreme daily rhetoric.
Rob,
Let’s get something straight, I’m not personally taking credit. The conservation community won this. The only reason this mine didn’t happen is because thousands of people made it too politically toxic and reputationally dangerous to move forward. I’m one small voice in that fight, and damn proud to be part of it.
And let me add this: I’m not some knee-jerk partisan with a grudge. I worked with the last Trump administration to help pass the Great American Outdoors Act and was proud to do it. This isn’t personal. It’s factual. Since January 20th 2025, we’ve seen an unprecedented assault on public lands and environmental protections, not in rhetoric, but in action. I speak up because I love these places, and I’m watching an administration try to dismantle them in real time.
You keep acting like tone is the problem. It’s not. The problem is the people trying to drain swamps, sell off forests, and gut the laws that protect them. If you’re more upset about someone raising their voice than you are about a mining company digging up a national treasure, maybe you should sit with that for a minute.
You don’t like the tone? That’s fine. But don’t confuse discomfort with ineffectiveness. People speaking out worked. That swamp is still protected because people raised hell.
Amazing what can be accomplished when you don’t sit around bitching & moaning 24/7 with extreme, aggressive, the sky is falling, doom & gloom language rooted in nothing but unwarranted bitterness instead of authentic, prioritized, focused action. People who proactively search for compromise often find middle ground, bi-partisan support and the funding needed to actually make the world go round. Certainly worth reflection on this website & newsletter! Rob S. from Georgia
Ah yes, Rob S. from Georgia, here to scold the very people who actually stopped the mine.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t saved by compromise. It was saved by pressure. Lawsuits, outrage, organizing. The kind of loud, sustained pushback that made it politically and reputationally untenable for Twin Pines to move forward. They knew they’d be forever branded as the company that ruined something millions of people loved.