Ocmulgee National Monument one step closer to becoming national park
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Ocmulgee National Monument is one step closer to becoming a national park.
Last week, congressmen introduced a bill that would change the site’s name as well as create a larger boundary for the existing area.
If you’ve never been…it’s usually quiet at the Ocmulgee National Monument.
You’ll the hear the occasional bird chirp or crunch of a leaf or even the crickets.
“For the period of time we still have on this Earth, we’d like to take it all in,” several visitors said.
Visitors like Dee and Irv Cygler, who are on a tour of the South, are enjoying every moment, and would like to see even more.
“We wanted to get a sense of what the heritage is of the South and a lot of the different places that we’ve always heard about,” Dee Cygler said.
Jim David says if the monument turns to national park status, the number of visitors will grow — but some come expecting something different.
“We have people come up and they’re asking to see the monument. They’re looking to see some marble obelisk sticking up in the air here,” David said.
The superintendent of the monument, along with U.S. congressmen Austin Scott and Sanford Bishop, are working to change the name and grow the park.
Scott and Bishop introduced a bipartisan bill to make that happen and maybe look a step further.
“Part of this bill is to do a further study of land all along the Ocmulgee River and to see if there are properties along there that would justify in the future a further expansion,” David said.
David says they’d need between 50-70,000 acres to be on national park status. He says if the bill passes he’s OK with the immediate changes — although there are still several hurdles to get through.
“At least all the people that are inside that new boundary have indicated that yes, they are willing to talk to us about selling their land,” David said.
David wants more people to do the same.
The bill is currently in the House subcommitee, David is sending legislators more information about the $3 million costs it’ll take to acquire the land to grow the park.
He says if the bill passes, changes could start by the end of the year.
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