59–006 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 114–442 

OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK 

BOUNDARY REVISION ACT OF 2016 

MARCH 2, 2016.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 482] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 482) to redesignate Ocmulgee National Monument in the 

State of Georgia and revise its boundary, and for other purposes, 

having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an 

amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2016’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map entitled ‘‘Ocmulgee National 

Monument Proposed Boundary Adjustment, numbered 363/125996’’, and dated 

January 2016. 

(2) HISTORICAL PARK.—The term ‘‘Historical Park’’ means the Ocmulgee 

Mounds National Historical Park in the State of Georgia, as redesignated in 

section 3. 

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior. 

SEC. 3. OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. 

(a) REDESIGNATION.—Ocmulgee National Monument, established pursuant to the 

Act of June 14, 1934 (48 Stat. 958), shall be known and designated as ‘‘Ocmulgee 

Mounds National Historical Park’’. 

(b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or 

other record of the United States to ‘‘Ocmulgee National Monument’’, other than in 

this Act, shall be deemed to be a reference to ‘‘Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical 

Park’’. 


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SEC. 4. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The boundary of the Historical Park is revised to include approximately 2,100 acres, as generally depicted on the map. 

(b) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service, the Department of 

the Interior. 

SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION; NO BUFFER ZONES. 

(a) LAND ACQUISITION.—The Secretary is authorized to acquire land and interests 

in land within the boundaries of the Historical Park by donation or exchange only 

(and in the case of an exchange, no payment may be made by the Secretary to any 

landowner). The Secretary may not acquire by condemnation any land or interest 

in land within the boundaries of the Historical Park. No private property or nonFederal public property shall be included within the boundaries of the Historical 

Park without the written consent of the owner of such property. 

(b) NO BUFFER ZONES.—Nothing in this Act, the establishment of the Historical 

Park, or the management of the Historical Park shall be construed to create buffer 

zones outside of the Historical Park. That an activity or use can be seen or heard 

from within the Historical Park shall not preclude the conduct of that activity or 

use outside the Historical Park. 

SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION. 

The Secretary shall administer any land acquired under section 5 as part of the 

Historical Park in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. 

SEC. 7. OCMULGEE RIVER CORRIDOR SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study of the 

Ocmulgee River corridor between the cities of Macon, Georgia, and Hawkinsville, 

Georgia, to determine— 

(1) the national significance of the study area; 

(2) the suitability and feasibility of adding lands in the study area to the National Park System; and 

(3) the methods and means for the protection and interpretation of the study 

area by the National Park Service, other Federal, State, local government entities, affiliated federally recognized Indian tribes, or private or nonprofit organizations. 

(b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall conduct the study authorized by this Act in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 

(c) RESULTS OF STUDY.—Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are 

made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate— 

(1) the results of the study; and 

(2) any findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Secretary. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 482 is to redesignate Ocmulgee National 

Monument in the State of Georgia and revise its boundaries. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Ocmulgee National Monument was originally authorized in 

1934 to protect ‘‘lands commonly known as the ‘Old Ocmulgee 

Fields,’ upon which certain Indian mounds of great historical importance are located.’’ (16 U.S.C. 447a, Act of June 14, 1934, 48 

Stat. 958). The monument’s enabling legislation authorized acquisition of land for Ocmulgee National Monument by public or private 

donation only. Although the enabling legislation stated that the 

Old Ocmulgee Fields were comprised of ‘‘approximately two thousand acres,’’ local residents living during the Great Depression 

could only raise enough funds to procure 678 acres by the time the 

monument was created by Presidential proclamation in 1936 (Presidential Proc. No. 2212, Dec. 23, 1936, 50 Stat. 1798). At present, 

the Ocmulgee National Monument consists of 702 acres. 


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In January 2014, the National Park Service published the findings of a boundary study and environmental assessment that examined the appropriateness of expanding the boundary of 

Ocmulgee National Monument. The National Park Service’s preferred alternative would authorize acquisition of land within the 

study area by willing donors and sellers up to approximately 2,100 

acres, thus expanding the monument to approximately 2,800 acres. 

The Archeological Conservancy wishes to donate approximately 300 

of the 2,100 acres studied by the National Park Service. 

The legislation also redesignates the National Monument as the 

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. 

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D–GA) introduced a nearly 

identical version of this legislation in the 113th Congress as H.R. 

4991, and Senator Johnny Isakson (R–GA) introduced a Senate 

companion as S. 2580. Senator Isakson is sponsoring the Senate 

companion as S. 1696 this Congress. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 482 was introduced on January 22, 2015, by Congressman 

Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D–GA). The bill was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the 

Subcommittee on Federal Lands. On February 2, 2016, the Natural 

Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee 

was discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Tom McClintock (R–CA) offered an amendment designated #1. The amendment 

was adopted by unanimous consent. No other amendments were offered, and the bill, as amended, was ordered favorably reported to 

the House of Representatives by unanimous consent on February 

3, 2016. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 482—Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary 

Revision Act of 2016 

H.R. 482 would redesignate the Ocmulgee National Monument in 

Georgia as the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, authorVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:14 Mar 03, 2016 Jkt 059006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR442.XXX HR442

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ize the expansion of the newly designated park’s boundaries, and 

authorize a special resource study of the Ocmulgee River corridor. 

The National Park Service would be permitted to expand the 

monument boundary only through a donation or exchange of land. 

Based on information from the National Park Service about the 

cost of developing the resource study, CB0 estimates that implementing the legislation would have an insignificant cost; such 

spending would depend on the availability of appropriated funds. 

Because enacting H.R. 482 would not affect direct spending or 

revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates 

that enacting H.R. 482 would not increase net direct spending or 

on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. 

H.R. 482 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CB0 staff contact for this estimate is Mann Burnett. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. Section 308(a) of Congressional Budget Act. As required by 

clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, 

this bill does not contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or 

tax expenditures. The Congressional Budget Office concludes that 

‘‘implementing the legislation would have an insignificant cost; 

such spending would depend on the availability of appropriated 

funds.’’ 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to redesignate Ocmulgee National Monument in the 

State of Georgia and revise its boundaries. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. The Chairman does not believe that this 

bill directs any executive branch official to conduct any specific 

rule-making proceedings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 


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PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would not amend any existing law. 

Æ 


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