U.S. Representatives Austin Scott (GA-08) and Sanford Bishop (GA-02), alongside U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, introduced bipartisan legislation to establish Georgia’s first National Park.
Reps. Scott and Bishop and Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve Establishment Act, which would establish Ocmulgee Mounds and surrounding areas in Middle Georgia as a National Park and Preserve.
The House bill is cosponsored by 11 other members of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation: Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), Drew Ferguson (GA-03), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Rich McCormick (GA-06), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Mike Collins (GA-10), Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Rick Allen (GA-12), David Scott (GA-13), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14).
The area is the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has been inhabited continuously by humans for over 12,000 years. American Indians first arrived in the area during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and Muskogean people constructed mounds for meeting, living, burial, agricultural, and other purposes, many of which remain today and would be encompassed in the new U.S. National Park and Preserve.
“The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has worked closely with Senators Ossoff and Warnock and Representatives Scott and Bishop to help develop and review the draft Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Bill. We are in full support of the draft text and proposed boundary of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve unit. We are thrilled to see this bill introduced and stand ready to support this legislation every step of the way,” said David W. Hill, Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. “It has been a privilege and honor to collaborate with these Senators, Members, and their staff to establish Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve. The Ocmulgee Mounds, Ocmulgee River, and all of middle Georgia hold historical significance to The Muscogee (Creek) Nation. We are ready to help preserve and co-manage the land which holds the rich cultural history, natural resources, and recreational opportunities that a National Park and Preserve will bring to Georgia.”