Bipartisan push for Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve

WASHINGTON - Nearly all of Georgia’s representatives in the U.S. House have signed on to support a resolution that would establish a new national park in Georgia. 

House Resolution 2345 would establish the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in Middle Georgia.

The backstory:

There has been a long-running effort to designate the Ocmulgee Mounds in central Georgia as a National Park and Preserve. The initiative would make Ocmulgee the first National Park and Preserve east of the Mississippi River and the first to be co-managed by a tribal nation in the region. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, whose ancestors built the massive earthen mounds over 1,000 years ago, has partnered with local leaders and conservation groups to push for the designation.

What we know:

The initiative has now received bipartisan traction in Congress, with all but one Georgia House member sponsoring or co-sponsoring the bill. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., sponsored HR 2345. The proposed park would be created in his congressional district. Fellow Georgia GOP representatives Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Rick Allen, Barry Loudermilk, Jack Brian, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Mike Collins have signed on. Across the aisle, representatives Sandford Bishop, Lucy McBath, David Scott, Nikema Williams, and Hank Johnson have also signed on as co-sponsors to recognize the cultural significance of the ancient Indigenous site. North Georgia’s Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., was notably absent from the current list of co-sponsors.

Rep. Bishop, who is one of the co-leaders on the push to create the new national park, released the text of the current bill. 

What they're saying:

Supporters say national park status would provide stronger protections for the archaeological site, expand recreational opportunities, and boost tourism in Macon and surrounding areas. The current Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park spans about 700 acres, but the proposed preserve would expand the footprint to over 54,000 acres along the Ocmulgee River corridor.

Dig deeper:

A formal feasibility study by the National Park Service found strong public support and noted the area’s ecological and historical importance. If approved, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve would join a select group of dual-status federal lands and mark a milestone in the broader movement to honor Native American heritage through land stewardship.

What we don't know:

The full text of the resolution has not yet been published.

What's next:

The measure has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.