HR-9416-119
Subcommittee Hearings Held
Sponsored by Austin Scott (R-GA)
What it does
This bill would rename the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Georgia to "Ocmulgee Mounds National Park," removing the word "Historical" from its designation. It would also direct the Secretary of the Interior to take approximately 133.88 acres of land currently held in fee by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation into federal trust as part of the Muscogee Creek Indian Reservation, prohibit gaming on that land, establish a tribal hiring preference for park jobs, and require the Secretary to protect and provide tribal access to sacred and cultural sites within the park.
Who benefits
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation and affiliated tribal members, who would gain federal trust land, employment preferences, protected access to sacred sites, and a formal role in park management. Other Indian tribes with cultural ties to the Ocmulgee region, who would be eligible for cooperative management agreements. Visitors and tourism businesses in the Macon, Georgia area, who may benefit from an elevated "National Park" designation that could increase visitation. Local and state economies that benefit from national park tourism. Historians and archaeologists who study Mississippian-era mound cultures.
Who is hurt
Competing land uses or private landowners near the park boundary who may face increased federal and tribal land presence. Taxpayers who may bear administrative costs of the trust land transfer and updated park management agreements, though these costs are likely modest. Other tribal nations not specifically named who may seek similar agreements and face a slower notification-only process. Anglers and hunters who may face new fishing zone restrictions under the Secretary's new regulatory authority, though private land rights are explicitly preserved.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the redesignation to "National Park" better reflects the site's significance as one of the most important Indigenous archaeological sites in North America, home to over 17,000 years of continuous human habitation, and that the "Historical" label has historically undersold the park's stature relative to comparable sites. They contend that taking the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's fee land into trust honors longstanding treaty obligations and the tribe's deep ancestral connection to the Ocmulgee River Corridor, and that tribal co-stewardship models have proven effective at other national parks in preserving both natural and cultural resources.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that the trust land transfer — converting 133.88 acres into reservation land adjacent to a national park — sets a precedent for expanding tribal land holdings through the National Park System framework, potentially complicating future park management and jurisdiction. They contend that the redesignation from "Historical Park" to "National Park" may create public confusion about the site's primary character as an archaeological and cultural heritage site, and that the tribal hiring preference, while well-intentioned, may conflict with federal merit-based civil service requirements and disadvantage other qualified applicants.