LAKE CITY, Fla. -- Conservationists say a proposed mining project near the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge poses a real risk for the more than 400,000-acre protected area.

It's the largest wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi, and it protects thousands of species.

A Trump administration rollback of federal wetland and waterway protections has removed a hurdle for Twin Pines Minerals, which intends to mine roughly 8,000 acres of the Trail Ridge for titanium.

But Christian Hunt, southeast representative for Defenders of Wildlife, said the Trail Ridge is a natural dam that plays a critical hydrological role, ensuring water is stored and flowing.

"It would result in a degradation of air and water quality," Hunt contended. "It would impact the wilderness and recreational appeal of one of our last great places here in the Southeast."

Hunt explained the Okefenokee is the last self-sustaining, large-scale wetland in the lower 48 states.

He added other wetlands, such as the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina and the Everglades in Florida, have been compromised by industrial and agricultural development.

The Trump rollbacks removed protections for roughly 400 acres of Okefenokee-adjacent wetlands previously covered under the Clean Water Act.

This means Twin Pines' mining project requires no federal oversight, although Hunt pointed out they do still need state permits. Hunt remarked the company has a history of environmental noncompliance.

"Twin Pines, in short, is trying to avail itself of illegal rollbacks under the Trump administration," Hunt contended.

Hunt said the Okefenokee, located in North Florida and Southeastern Georgia, is among the top ten most-visited wildlife refuges in the country, and an economic anchor, contributing millions of dollars to the four counties surrounding it, including Baker County in Florida.

He urged concerned citizens to reach out to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

"Hold the Trump administration accountable," Hunt emphasized. "And then also encourage Georgia EPD to do right by this project, and to take action that's commensurate with the value of the resource at stake."

A bill to prioritize wildlife crossings gets a hearing in the state Senate Transportation Committee today.

The Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act would require Caltrans and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop a strategic plan to map out where wildlife crossings are necessary to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect habitats.

Tiffany Yap - senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity - said the problem is particularly severe for mountain lions in parts of Southern California, which could soon face what's called an "extinction vortex."

"There's a lot of inbreeding occurring in these populations," said Yap. "And if that is occurring, we might start seeing signs of reproductive issues and other health issues. And they could become extinct within 50 years in those areas if we don't do anything to improve connectivity."

She noted that animals need to roam the landscape in order to find unrelated mates and pursue food and better habitat, especially as California experiences more drought and wildfires linked to climate change.

Data from the UC Davis Road Ecology Center show that Californians reported more than 44,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions from 2016 to 2020, resulting in much injury and death - as well as at least $1 billion in damages.

The bill also would require Caltrans to keep wildlife connectivity in mind when designing new roads or making repairs.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman - D-Burbank - is a co-author of the bill and is optimistic that it will pass.

"I don't think anybody's objected to the policy very much," said Friedman. "It's had bipartisan support. And we've made it less expensive because we took out the mandate that said that Caltrans had to do any particular number of projects."

The bill already has passed the State Assembly. The next step would be the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 12.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

A report from leaders in Washington state lays out how the services of four dams on the lower Snake River could be replaced in order to save ailing salmon species in the region. Now, the public has an opportunity to comment on it.

The draft report comes from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and found it is plausible to replace the dams and the services they provide, including to agriculture, transportation and energy production.

Erin Farris-Olsen, Northern Rockies and Prairies regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, explained her organization favors removing the dams.

"The report itself is not surprising for many of us who have seen the lower Snake River dams as being an opportunity for our Northwest future," Farris-Olsen noted. "Removing the dams is in fact possible, and that it's really essential to avoid the extinction of salmon."

The plan's estimated cost is between $10 billion and $27 billion. A rally this Saturday in Portland will call for dam removal to save salmon. Supporters of the dams include Washington state Republicans, who say now is not the time to remove dams producing reliable power, especially with soaring energy prices across the country.

The report pointed out climate change could affect how productive the hydroelectric dams are. It said drought and low snowpack already are affecting their usefulness, and suggests replacing the dams with other renewable energy sources.

Farris-Olsen pointed out the region has spent billions of dollars on salmon restoration efforts that have not worked, and believes it should be taken into account when looking at the price tag for dam removal.

"It's also not just a cost to remove the dams," Farris-Olsen contended. "It's an investment in energy infrastructure that's going to be the future for the Northwest."

Farris-Olsen added the region is lucky there still are salmon to protect, but will not have that luxury if action is not taken soon.

"As a salmon fisher myself, it's been tough to kind of articulate the sense of urgency because the species themselves are so resilient," Farris-Olsen acknowledged. "They keep coming back, even if they're coming back in record-low numbers."

Public comment on Inslee and Murray's draft report is due by July 11. Ultimately, the power lies with Congress to approve breaching the federally-operated dams.

A measure in Congress which would fund local efforts to protect animal and plant species before they become endangered has passed the U.S. House and moved on to the Senate.

The Recovering America's Wildlife Act would dedicate $1.4 billion to the work of states and tribes, to prevent vulnerable species from declining.

Montana would receive $27 million a year to conserve nearly 130 species identified as being at risk, including bull trout and sharp-tailed grouse.

Alec Underwood, senior policy and development director for the Montana Wildlife Federation, explained the benefits of the legislation.

"There's a reason that every major hunting and fishing group in the country is backing this bill, and it's because hunters and anglers, and outdoor recreationists, for that matter, want to see our at-risk species recovered," Underwood asserted. "And ultimately, restoring their habitat will, of course, benefit the species that we like to hunt and fish."

Montana's outdoor industry provides more than $2 billion to the economy each year. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has been a leading voice on the measure, but its critics have called it flawed because it would create a spending program without a dedicated revenue source.

Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, which supports the bill, said his organization has been speaking with members of the House and Senate to identify additional revenue sources. He also noted proactive measures to protect wildlife save money.

"If a species declines to the point where they need listing protections under the Endangered Species Act, it can be very expensive to try to recover the species at that point," O'Mara explained. "And it's a little like health care, right? It's a lot more expensive to wind up in the emergency room than it is to do your annual checkup to make sure that everything's working well."

O'Mara believes it is the most significant conservation legislation in 50 years.

"Right now, the one-third of all species that are at heightened risk of extinction, the 12,000 species of greatest conservation need -- desperately need -- action, and inaction is the greatest ally of extinction," O'Mara contended. "This bill is a solution that's of the magnitude of the crisis."

The bill passed in the House with bipartisan support. The Senate version already has 35 co-sponsors, nearly half of whom are Republicans.