Wednesday (4/3/19), the National Parks Conservation Association awarded Congressman Scott DesJarlais, M.D., its 2019 National Park Heritage Award for his work to preserve the James K. Polk Home and Museum in Columbia, Tennessee. His James K. Polk Presidential Home Study Act became part of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which President Trump signed into law this year.

Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04), who represents the Columbia area in Congress, is working to make the Polk Home a unit of the National Park Service (NPS) to ensure the Tennessee landmark's preservation. His legislation requires the Department of the Interior to study placing the Polk Home under NPS protection, a necessary step before it could receive its designation as a National Park. Currently, a non-profit organization maintains the museum and grounds with limited state assistance.

Rep. DesJarlais thanked Senators Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander for their support. "James K. Polk was a President who kept his promises. Without him, the United States would not be the continental nation, spanning from coast to coast, that it is today," he said. "In an age when too few are learning our history, taking the United States' good fortune for granted, it is important to remember one of the great statesmen who made it possible.

"I hope more Tennesseans, as well as visitors from across the country, will learn about the important role Tennessee has played in U.S. history. It is a proud legacy that has helped our state to become an economic, political and cultural leader in the 21st Century. Columbia is a vibrant small town."