Macon Magazine

9 6 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M J U N E / J U LY 2 0 1 9 people get to visit and see their historic home. It feeds our soul and gives a sense of pride. A strength comes from seeing that the land — the land we were forcibly removed from — is getting the care and concern it deserves. I'm looking forward to more involvement and future programs for our young people at Ocmulgee Mounds. ere's a new chapter opening between us." While efforts to raise funds mount, so does work to further extend the Ocmulgee Mound's acreage along the Ocmulgee corridor to Hawkinsville. "at's the dream," Adams said. "It will cost more, but that's the dream. I think it can and should be done." Adams said the bill that designated new land and gave the park a new name also authorized a three-year study to explore the idea. e Ocmulgee corridor, according to Adams, includes diverse animal and plant populations and is a last remaining southeastern wild area. He said preserving the corridor will provide opportunities to protect fragile resources, offer educational opportunities and would open greater recreational possibilities for activities such as fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, camping and more. It also would allow the park's name to be changed yet again, possibly to the Ocmulgee Mounds Historic Park and Preserve. A new study by Mercer University supports the further expansion of Ocmulgee Mounds along the corridor due to its unique national significance, and points to the large number of historically and culturally significant sites within 5 miles of the river. It states discoveries have been made anywhere archaeologists have looked within the corridor's footprint and maintains hundreds of important archaeological sites remain yet to be documented. "Like I said," Adams emphasized, "we have an opportunity we better not miss." Gary Wheat, president and CEO of Visit Macon, noted that benefits of the expansion and current renaming of the site aren't just future benefits. "It's very significant that the name changed from 'monument' to 'park,'" he said. "e new designation is significant in itself because of how people nationwide and even internationally look at it. ere are a lot of people who spend their downtime and vacation dollars visiting national parks and now we're a park rather than a monument. e fact we're the newest national park will even be an attraction." He said including "mounds" in the name is also a plus. "at gives a clearer, immediate explanation of what's here and will attract people, too," he said. "We'll see a marked increase in tourism in just the next five years. I've joked that the smartest thing somebody might do is open an RV park across the street from Ocmulgee Mounds because there's a surprising number of people who spend their time 'RVing' from one park to another. All that presents an opportunity right now in addition to the archeological and preservation aspects. What's happened is no small thing." PRINCIPAL CHIEF JAMES FLOYD OF THE MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION HAS TRAVELED FROM OKLAHOMA TO ATTEND PAST OCMULGEE INDIAN CELEBRATIONS AT OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK. TIES BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF CENTRAL GEORGIA, THE PARK AND THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHO ONCE LIVED THERE ARE GROWING STRONGER. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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