LegiStorm

Summary:

The National Trails System was created in 1968 by the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. §§1241-1251). The system includes four types of trails: (1) national scenic trails (NSTs), which display significant physical characteristics of U.S. regions; (2) national historic trails (NHTs), which follow travel routes of national historical significance; (3) national recreation trails (NRTs), which provide outdoor recreation accessible to urban areas; and (4) connecting or side trails, which provide access to the other types of trails. As defined in the act, NSTs and NHTs are longdistance trails designated by acts of Congress. NRTs and connecting and side trails may be designated by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture with the consent of the federal agency, state, or political subdivision with jurisdiction over the lands involved. Congress plays an ongoing role in shaping the National Trails System through legislation and oversight. Broad issues for Congress include, among others: • whether and where to establish new trails in the system, • whether to establish new categories of trails (such as “national discovery trails”), and • how much funding to provide to agencies for trail management. When designating individual trails, Congress has considered issues such as: • how to balance trail designation with other potential land uses, • how to address federal land acquisition, and • whether to make specific provisions for trail use that may differ from those in the overall act. Congress has established 11 NSTs and 19 NHTs, as well as several NRTs (although recreation trails are more typically designated administratively). In addition, the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture have designated more than 1,200 NRTs and 6 connecting or side trails. The scenic, historic, and connecting trails are federally administered by either the National Park Service (NPS) and/or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Forest Service (FS) in the Department of Agriculture, with cooperation from states and other entities to operate nonfederal trail segments. The roughly 1,200 national recreation trails are typically managed by states, localities, and private organizations, except where they cross federal lands. The act limits federal land acquisition for the trails system, with specific provisions for different trail types. Each federal agency with management authority over national trails has its own budget for trail administration and management. Trails have also received funding from federal transportation programs, private donations, permits and fees, and local excise taxes, among other sources. Uses of the national trails may include, but are not limited to, bicycling, cross-country skiing, day hiking, equestrian activities, jogging or similar fitness activities, overnight and long-distance backpacking, snowmobiling, and surface water and underwater activities. Provisions for motorized vehicle use vary among the different types of trails. Legislation in the 114th Congress would designate a new national recreation trail (H.R. 1865 and S. 1423), direct a study of one trail route for potential addition to the system as a national historic trail (H.R. 984 and S. 479), and make other changes. As in earlier Congresses, a bill (H.R. 2661) has also been introduced to add a new type of trail—national discovery trails—to the system.