Georgia lawmakers have shown strong bipartisan support for a bill that would promulgate the Ocmulgee Mounds into the nation's latest National Park and first for the state. The heritage site near Macon, steeped in the history of the Muscogee people, could soon to be solidified and expanded, ensuring the preservation of ancient earthen mounds and the narrative they carry.
The initiative promises to bring back control and a sense of stewardship to the Muscogee Nation—descendants of the original inhabitants. "We built our homes here," Tracie Revis, a Muscogee Nation citizen and the director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, stated in a WABE interview. "So this legislation gives us the opportunity to not only come back and be in the land but help manage and maintain our home again." With only four national parks having similar co-management arrangements, the move marks a significant milestone.
Sen. Jon Ossoff voiced his optimism about the process, declaring in a virtual press conference that "we are in about as strong a position as you can possibly be at this point in the process," hinting to the strong local support and bipartisan harmony weaving through the proposal. The bill, dubbed the Ocmulgee Mounds Park and Preserve Establishment Act, was cosponsored by Sen. Raphael Warnock, while a homologous proposition saw daylight in the House through the efforts of Republican Rep. Austin Scott and Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop.
Macon-Bibb County Mayor Pro Tempore Seth C. Clark outlined the substantial economic impact the park stands to generate, suggesting it could bring to an estimated $230 million to the local community. "That by itself is how we re imagine our local economy with a sense of ecotourism so that it is viable for the next generation," Clark emphasized, highlighting the intertwining of cultural heritage and modernity. The park would also translate to one of the largest expansions of hunting and fishing lands in Georgia, weaving together preservation with practical utility.
While the bill has amassed an impressive spectrum of support, Congressman Andrew Clyde has refrained from cosponsoring the legislation. Nonetheless, the general consensus reflects a grand gesture towards reconciliation, recognition of cultural heritage, and economic revitalization for middle Georgia. As the Muscogee Nation looks towards a brighter future entwined with their ancestral past, Georgia inches closer to honoring the land and its stories with National Park status, according to statements obtained by the Georgia Recorder.
