Austin Scott (R-GA)
Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act
A Republican bill with 5 Democratic cosponsors · See all 12 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill aims to establish 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. The legislation allows the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land for both the National Park and the National Preserve through purchase, donation, or exchange. A management plan must be developed within three years to handle the preservation of cultural resources and landscapes. Additionally, the bill establishes an Advisory Council to assist with the management and accommodation of Tribal interests.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +8
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill provides land in trust, hiring preferences, and access to sacred sites for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
- Scored +7
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?
The bill establishes a new management plan and an advisory council for the park and preserve.
- Scored +6
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill mandates the preservation of cultural landscapes and protects sacred sites.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Cultural Heritage: The bill requires a management plan that provides for the interpretation and preservation of cultural resources, including burial grounds and sites sacred to the Tribe (Section 4(b)(2)).
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Tribal Employment Opportunities: The Secretary is directed to establish hiring preferences for members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for positions at the park and preserve (Section 4(d)).
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Tribal Land Rights: Approximately 126 acres of land owned by the Tribe will be taken into trust for the benefit of the Tribe (Section 6).
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Access to Sacred Sites: The Secretary must ensure the protection of sacred and cultural sites and provide access to these sites for members of Indian Tribes with ancestral connections to the Ocmulgee River Corridor (Section 4(h)).
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Recreational Activities: The bill allows for hunting within the National Preserve and fishing within the waters of the National Park and Preserve, subject to applicable laws (Section 4(c)).
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Tribal Input in Management: An Advisory Council is created, which includes three representatives from the Tribe, to advise on management plans and land collaboration (Section 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Land Acquisition Restrictions: While the Secretary can acquire land through purchase, donation, or exchange, the bill explicitly prohibits the use of eminent domain to acquire land for the National Park or the National Preserve (Section 3(a)(3) and Section 3(b)(2)).
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Potential Restrictions on Recreation: The Secretary has the authority to designate specific zones or periods where hunting or fishing may be prohibited for reasons of public safety, administration, or wildlife management (Section 4(c)(3)).
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Military Activity: The bill ensures that low-level military aircraft overflights, new special use airspace, and military flight training routes can still occur over the park and preserve (Section 4(g)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests? — The bill establishes a new management plan and an advisory council for the park and preserve. Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill mandates the preservation of cultural landscapes and protects sacred sites.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides land in trust, hiring preferences, and access to sacred sites for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Would gun owners be better off under this? — The bill explicitly allows for hunting within the National Preserve.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill supports Tribal land rights and provides hiring preferences for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill grants the Secretary of the Interior authority to acquire land for the new park and preserve.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill establishes hiring preferences for members of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation for park positions.
- 3/25/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 12 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Rick AllenRepublican · Georgia
Sanford BishopDemocrat · Georgia
Earl CarterRepublican · Georgia
Mike CollinsRepublican · Georgia
Marjorie GreeneRepublican · Georgia
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Brian JackRepublican · Georgia
Barry LoudermilkRepublican · Georgia
Lucy McBathDemocrat · Georgia
Richard McCormickRepublican · Georgia
David ScottDemocrat · Georgia
Nikema WilliamsDemocrat · Georgia