Natural Resources Management Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act.

This legislation includes important provisions for public lands across our Nation, but specifically for three national parks in the State of Georgia. One of those includes my own piece of legislation, a boundary expansion for the Fort Frederica National Monument in the First Congressional District of Georgia.

Designed by General James Oglethorpe in 1733 on St. Simons Island, Fort Frederica was built to defend the young colony against attack from the Spanish in Florida. Nine years later, in 1742, General Oglethorpe's design was put to the test. The Spanish invaded the Georgia colony as part of the larger War of Jenkins' Ear headed directly for Fort Frederica.

The Spaniards numbered around 5,000 troops, while General Oglethorpe had fewer than 1,000 regular soldiers, Native Americans, and local colonists garrisoned inside the tabby structure. The English detected the Spanish invasion, waded into the marsh, and ambushed the enemy troops in an engagement now called the Battle of Bloody Marsh. Consequently, this battle turned back the Spanish and was the last of their offensives into the colony of Georgia.

This story, battle, and fort is an important moment in Georgia history, taught to elementary students throughout the State as a marker of our resolve and a turning point that helped to create the State of Georgia that we now know.

In passing years, specifically with updates in technology, we increase our knowledge of history through new findings. That is exactly the opportunity we have here with Fort Frederica and why we need this legislation.

Studies now show that land just outside the national park boundary was used as a campground and even a battery that protected the area from warships. This bill adjusts the existing Fort Frederica National Monument to include those locations inside the boundary, in an effort to better preserve those locations and continue to learn more about this area and the critical events that unfolded here in the First Congressional District of Georgia to create our home State of Georgia.

This legislation has been in the works for the last 12 years, beginning when the Saint Simons Land Trust temporarily purchased the additional land in 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the committee for their work on this. We need to preserve this history for generations to come.

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