4 lawmakers introduce legislation to make Ocmulgee Mounds state’s first National Park and Preserve

WSBTV.com News Staff
·3 min read

A quartet of Georgia’s federal lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation to set the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the first National Park and Preserve in the state.

According to a release from both of Georgia’s U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, as well as Reps. Austin Scott and Sanford Bishop, the legislation would establish the historic site as the state’s first National Park.

In terms of what this change means, the update, if passed in Congress, would be a new designation for the site.

Right now, the Ocmulgee Mounds’ National Historical Park has a designation tied to its historical significance, according to the Congressional Research Service.

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The location is the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is historically an area that has been lived in by humans for more than 12,000 years.

The mounds at the site, located in Macon-Bibb County, a part of Middle Georgia, were built by the Muskogean people for a variety of needs, such as meeting places, living space, burial grounds and farming, among others, according to the lawmakers’ release.

“It is thrilling to introduce this bipartisan legislation that would establish Georgia’s first National Park & Preserve right here in Macon-Bibb County and Middle Georgia,” Ossoff said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Congressman Scott, Congressman Bishop, and Senator Reverend Warnock. Above all, I want to commend the extraordinary efforts of local officials, and in particular, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Macon-Bibb County Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark for their years of hard work, advocacy, and leadership that has made this moment possible.”

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If the legislation to change the Ocmulgee Mounds’ designation passes in both chambers of Congress, it would enlarge the site to include the Mounds, the Ocmulgee River and a number of “biodiversity hotspots,” as well as what Macon-Bibb County Mayor Pro Tempore Seth C. Clark calls “cultural assets.”

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller said the legislation was historic and consequential for the region.

“This historic legislation has been almost a century in the making and is one of the most consequential civic and economic development efforts in my lifetime. Like our efforts to protect this landscape and grow our economy locally, this legislation reflects a bipartisan commitment to stewardship, partnership, and reconciliation,” Miller said in a statement. “I am proud to support the legislation to create the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve and urge Congress to pass it swiftly so that we can continue our efforts in protecting these lands, growing our economy, and moving forward together with our Muscogee (Creek) brothers and sisters.”

In addition to Ossoff, Warnock, Scott and Bishop, 11 other members of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation have sponsored the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Those members of Congress are:

  • Buddy Carter

  • Drew Ferguson

  • Hank Johnson

  • Nikema Williams

  • Rich McCormick

  • Lucy McBath

  • Mike Collins

  • Barry Loudermilk

  • Rick Allen

  • David Scott

  • Marjorie Taylor Greene

A map of the proposed National Park can be found online.

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