Bill > HR2345

This bill establishes the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in Georgia, which transforms the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park into a national park and creates an adjacent national preserve. The legislation allows the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land through willing seller purchases, donations, or exchanges for both the park and preserve areas, explicitly prohibiting the use of eminent domain. A key provision is the creation of a seven-member Advisory Council that will include representatives from the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, and the Middle Georgia Regional Commission. The bill mandates the development of a management plan within three years that focuses on preserving cultural resources, sacred sites, and landscapes, with special attention to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's cultural heritage. Hunting and fishing will be permitted in the preserve and park in accordance with federal and state laws, and the legislation includes provisions for tribal consultation, hiring preferences for tribal members, and protecting sacred sites. Additionally, the bill takes approximately 126 acres of land owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation into trust for the tribe and authorizes necessary appropriations to implement the act.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2345/all-info