Bill > S1131

This bill establishes the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve in Georgia, transforming the existing Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park into a national park and creating an adjacent national preserve. The bill allows the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land within designated areas through willing seller purchases, donations, or exchanges, without using eminent domain, and mandates that the park and preserve be administered as a single unit of the National Park System. The legislation requires developing a comprehensive management plan within three years, with a focus on preserving cultural resources and landscapes, particularly those important to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The bill establishes an advisory council with seven members, including representatives from the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, and the Middle Georgia Regional Commission. Additionally, the bill allows hunting and fishing in the preserve according to federal and state laws, provides hiring preferences for Muscogee (Creek) Nation members, ensures protection of sacred sites, and takes approximately 126 acres of Tribal land into federal trust for the Tribe's benefit. The legislation also maintains existing military flight activities and does not interfere with the administration of the nearby Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1131/all-info