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We're working to create America's *newest* national park
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Please take a second to read this,
John:

America's national parks and monuments are facing more
challenges than ever.

Staffing cuts. Protections stripped. Wildfires and
severe storms. Federal budget cuts. Deferred maintenance to
aging trails, unsafe bridges, and deteriorating roads.

Since 1972, we've preserved, protected, and expanded
public lands and national parks across the country. That
work has never been more urgent than it is now-but
we can't do it without the resources provided by
supporters like you.

Please make a $35 gift today and help us ensure these
places are cared for, now and for future generations.

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DONATE NOW

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John,

For millions of Americans-and countless visitors from around the
globe-national parks are where some of our most treasured
memories in the outdoors are made. There's nothing like trekking
through the majestic slot canyons on the Narrows trail at Zion,
peering into the vast wonders of the Grand Canyon, or gazing up at the
towering waterfalls in Yosemite.

But national parks aren't just about scenery, splendor, and
adventure. At Trust for Public Land, we believe national parks are
also places that, at their best, can help provide an honest accounting
of the nation's triumphs and failures.

That's why we're proudly supporting the Muscogee Nation
and the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative to establish
America's newest national park.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Georgia.
Photo: David Dugan/Openverse
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At the heart of the park stands the Ocmulgee Mounds, constructed
around 900 CE by early Mississippian farmers. These mounds once housed
the village chief and served as a funerary site, but over time, they
evolved to accommodate the 60 villages of the Muscogee Nation. In
1836, the Muscogee people endured forced removal during the Trail of
Tears.

A century later, Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated 678 acres to
establish the mounds as a national monument, a status further elevated
to national historic park status in 2019.

It's time to bestow this place with the highest honor.
Transforming Ocmulgee Mounds into a national park pays homage to the
original stewards of the land and conveys the significance of this
sacred space. This initiative will enhance the existing Ocmulgee
Mounds National Historical Park and Bond Swamp National Wildlife
Refuge, creating a sprawling 23,000-acre park along the Ocmulgee
River.

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States this
month, parks and public lands remind us about who we are-and who
we can become. According to new YouGov polling we released last month,
88 percent of Americans agree it's important to preserve
historical and cultural landmarks in outdoor spaces that tell the
full American story, including difficult chapters, such as slavery and
the mistreatment of Native Americans.

Establishing Ocmulgee as a national park would be an important step in
building public outdoor spaces that truly grapple with our
country's history. With the help of supporters like you, we
won't stop working to make this project a reality.

-Trust for Public Land

DONATE

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Connecting everyone to the outdoors. We create parks and protect
public land where they're needed most so that everyone will have
access to the benefits and joys of the outdoors for generations to
come.

This email was sent by Trust for Public Land to [email protected].
23 Geary St. Suite 1000, San Francisco, CA 94108

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