Georgia one step closer to establishing Ocmulgee Mounds as first national park and preserve

Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff introduced legislation to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia's first national park and preserve. The bill was introduced in Congress after receiving bipartisan support from almost the entire Georgia delegation.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff introduced legislation to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first national park and preserve. The bill was introduced in Congress after receiving bipartisan support from almost the entire Georgia delegation.

Senator Ossoff held a news conference on Thursday to discuss the importance of the bill and the potential economic impact on the local economy.

“What an extraordinary partnership this has been at a moment of such political division and even hatred,” he said. “This is the tonic that Georgia needs right now.”

If the Ocmulgee Mounds become a national park and preserve, it could generate $230 million of economic impact to the region and more than $30 million of tax revenue for municipalities in this region, according to Seth Clark, the Executive Director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative.

Clark also stated it could increase visitation to more than one million visitors annually. In addition to the economic impact, the legislation also offers a path for co-management with the Muscogee Creek Nation, which is a strong ally in this project.

“The reconciliation that it’s offering these two communities is really hard to put into words, but it’s very special and it’s a very historic aspect of this legislation,” Clark said.

Tracie Revis, the director of advocacy for the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, shared how significant this legislation is for her community.

“We know how sacred these lands are. We built our homes here. We built these ancient civilizations in these lands here in Middle Georgia, and given the history of the country, we were removed into Oklahoma,” she said. “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.”

The bill is now in the hands of the House and the Senate.