Protect Our Public Lands

Is Georgia about to get its first National Park?

NPS | Public Domain
Opelofa Trail in the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Site

Georgia has more than 49 state parks, 17 state historic sites, a National Recreation Area and a National Seashore, but never a National Park. Now a proposal to redesignate and expand the The Ocmulgee Mounds Historic Site, located in Macon, GA could change all that.

The bipartisan bill H.R. 8182, or the “Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act”, is moving through the US Congress. If passed and signed by Pres. Biden, Georgia could have its first national park. Environment Georgia submitted a comment letter to the House Natural Resources Committee and relevant Subcommittees in support of HR 8182.

Congress created the Ocmulgee National Monument in 1934, since then the site has expanded and been redesignated as a National Historic Site. The Site protects a prehistoric American Indian site that was occupied by multiple American Indian cultures for thousands of years. Around 900 CE residents constructed mounds for their elite, which still stand today.

Today, visitors to the historic site can explore the 8 miles of trails within the park that allow the exploration of many of the park’s historic and pristine wildernesses. Some trail paths lead to historical museums, culturally significant sites, and some of the 7 iconic mound locations, where visitors learn about the history of the park through artifacts and other archeological findings. 

If successful, Georgia’s new National Park would provide 35 miles of protected river corridor along the Ocmulgee River, a hotspot for wildlife. Experts estimate the Ocmulgee River corridor is home to 32 mammal species, 170 species of birds, 26 amphibian species, 31 fish species and 35 reptile species. 

Stay tuned for more information as this important legislation moves through Congress.

 

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