The Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) will host a membership and educational drive on Thursday, April 10th from 5:30 – 7:30pm at The Crazy Bull located at 473 Second Street in downtown Macon. 

“We invite all members of the community to join us to learn more about the proposed expansion of the Monument and how they can be a part of making this dream a reality,” says Brian Adams, president of ONPPI, “This is an historic opportunity for our region and our state. The proposed boundary will impact tourism across Georgia.”

The proposed expansion would encompass more than 2,000 acres including the existing Monument, Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the Ocmulgee River corridor to Hawkinsville. The Ocmulgee National Monument is middle Georgia’s most popular tourist destination. National Parks across the country are economic drivers for the surrounding communities. In 2010, the Monument added $5.4 million into the middle Georgia economy. 

The Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative (ONPPI) is a community based group of Middle Georgia citizens working together to expand the current site of the Ocmulgee National Monument into the first National Park and Preserve east of the Mississippi River. The Ocmulgee River Corridor includes a diverse animal and plant population, and is one of the last remaining wild areas in the Southeastern United States. We believe formally preserving the area between Macon and Hawkinsville along the Ocmulgee River Corridor will not only provide opportunities for recreation, education, and protection of fragile resources, but it will also benefit the area economically.