Energy and Natural Resources Committee, National Parks Subcommittee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This bill establishes the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia. It redesignates the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the **Ocmulgee Mounds National Park** and creates a new **Ocmulgee Mounds National Preserve**. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire land for both units from willing sellers, through donation, or exchange, explicitly prohibiting the use of eminent domain. Both units will be administered together as a single unit of the National Park System, with boundaries defined by acquired lands. A general management plan must be developed within three years, focusing on the interpretation and preservation of **cultural resources**, including burial grounds and sacred sites of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. An **Advisory Council**, with significant representation from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, will be established to advise on this plan and recommend ways to accommodate Tribal interests in management. The bill also mandates a hiring preference for members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for positions at the site and ensures protection and access to sacred and cultural sites for Indian Tribes with ancestral connections. Additionally, it permits hunting in the preserve and fishing in both units, subject to federal and state laws, and takes approximately 126 acres of land owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation into trust for their benefit.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act
USA119th CongressS-1131| Senate
| Updated: 12/9/2025
This bill establishes the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in the State of Georgia. It redesignates the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the **Ocmulgee Mounds National Park** and creates a new **Ocmulgee Mounds National Preserve**. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire land for both units from willing sellers, through donation, or exchange, explicitly prohibiting the use of eminent domain. Both units will be administered together as a single unit of the National Park System, with boundaries defined by acquired lands. A general management plan must be developed within three years, focusing on the interpretation and preservation of **cultural resources**, including burial grounds and sacred sites of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. An **Advisory Council**, with significant representation from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, will be established to advise on this plan and recommend ways to accommodate Tribal interests in management. The bill also mandates a hiring preference for members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for positions at the site and ensures protection and access to sacred and cultural sites for Indian Tribes with ancestral connections. Additionally, it permits hunting in the preserve and fishing in both units, subject to federal and state laws, and takes approximately 126 acres of land owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation into trust for their benefit.