A federal agency proposed an expansion of the Okefenokee Swamp’s vast wildlife refuge on Friday, which could lead to a buyout offer for land intended for a private company’s mining project that conservationists have fought for years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing an expansion of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, including land currently held by a company looking to open a titanium mine near the swamp. The federal agency is seeking public comment on the plan to add about 22,

The federal government is proposing a boundary expansion for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge that would include area owned by a company that’s pursuing a controversial plan to mine near the swamp.

The sun sets on lily pads and floating vegetation in the Chesser Prairie inside the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on March 30, 2022, in Folkston, Georgia. Stephen B. Morton/AP But the Fish and Wildlife Service noted that the move would not “block a mining decision.