IIB 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 538 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 31, 2017 

Received 

FEBRUARY 1, 2017 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

AN ACT 

To redesignate Ocmulgee National Monument in the State 

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

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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HR 538 RFS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ocmulgee Mounds Na3 tional Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2017’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map en7 titled ‘‘Ocmulgee National Monument Proposed 

8 Boundary Adjustment, numbered 363/125996’’, and 

9 dated January 2016. 

10 (2) HISTORICAL PARK.—The term ‘‘Historical 

11 Park’’ means the Ocmulgee Mounds National His12 torical Park in the State of Georgia, as redesignated 

13 in section 3. 

14 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of the Interior. 

16 SEC. 3. OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. 

17 (a) REDESIGNATION.—Ocmulgee National Monu18 ment, established pursuant to the Act of June 14, 1934 

19 (48 Stat. 958), shall be known and designated as 

20 ‘‘Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park’’. 

21 (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, map, reg22 ulation, document, paper, or other record of the United 

23 States to ‘‘Ocmulgee National Monument’’, other than in 

24 this Act, shall be deemed to be a reference to ‘‘Ocmulgee 

25 Mounds National Historical Park’’. 


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HR 538 RFS

1 SEC. 4. BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The boundary of the Historical 

3 Park is revised to include approximately 2,100 acres, as 

4 generally depicted on the map. 

5 (b) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 

6 and available for public inspection in the appropriate of7 fices of the National Park Service, the Department of the 

8 Interior. 

9 SEC. 5. LAND ACQUISITION; NO BUFFER ZONES. 

10 (a) LAND ACQUISITION.—The Secretary is author11 ized to acquire land and interests in land within the 

12 boundaries of the Historical Park by donation or exchange 

13 only (and in the case of an exchange, no payment may 

14 be made by the Secretary to any landowner). The Sec15 retary may not acquire by condemnation any land or inter16 est in land within the boundaries of the Historical Park. 

17 No private property or non-Federal public property shall 

18 be included within the boundaries of the newly expanded 

19 portion of the Historical Park under section 4(a) without 

20 the written consent of the owner of such property. 

21 (b) NO BUFFER ZONES.—Nothing in this Act, the 

22 establishment of the Historical Park, or the management 

23 of the Historical Park shall be construed to create buffer 

24 zones outside of the Historical Park. That an activity or 

25 use can be seen or heard from within the Historical Park 


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HR 538 RFS

1 shall not preclude the conduct of that activity or use out2 side the Historical Park. 

3 SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION. 

4 The Secretary shall administer any land acquired 

5 under section 5 as part of the Historical Park in accord6 ance with applicable laws and regulations. 

7 SEC. 7. OCMULGEE RIVER CORRIDOR SPECIAL RESOURCE 

8 STUDY. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a 

10 special resource study of the Ocmulgee River corridor be11 tween the cities of Macon, Georgia, and Hawkinsville, 

12 Georgia, to determine— 

13 (1) the national significance of the study area; 

14 (2) the suitability and feasibility of adding 

15 lands in the study area to the National Park Sys16 tem; and 

17 (3) the methods and means for the protection 

18 and interpretation of the study area by the National 

19 Park Service, other Federal, State, local government 

20 entities, affiliated federally recognized Indian tribes, 

21 or private or nonprofit organizations. 

22 (b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall conduct the 

23 study authorized by this Act in accordance with section 

24 100507 of title 54, United States Code. 


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1 (c) RESULTS OF STUDY.—Not later than 3 years 

2 after the date on which funds are made available to carry 

3 out this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Com4 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representa5 tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re6 sources of the Senate— 

7 (1) the results of the study; and 

8 (2) any findings, conclusions, and recommenda9 tions of the Secretary. 

Passed the House of Representatives January 30, 

2017. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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