119-hr2768

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2768 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2768

 To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of 
 Agriculture to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the 
 Benton MacKaye Trail as a national scenic trail.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 9, 2025

Mr. Fleischmann (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Edwards, and Mrs. McBath) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of 
 Agriculture to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the 
 Benton MacKaye Trail as a national scenic trail.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail 
Feasibility Study Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds that the Benton MacKaye Trail--

    (1) is a scenic, nonmotorized trail that traverses 
 approximately 287 miles over some of the most renowned forests 
 and mountains in the States of Georgia, Tennessee, and North 
 Carolina;

    (2) showcases a wide variety of scenic views, including 
 high-elevation peaks, mature forests, and secluded waterfalls;

    (3) passes through wilderness that is rich with 
 biodiversity;

    (4) passes through six designated Wilderness Areas, the 
 Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Chattahoochee-
 Oconee, Cherokee, and Nantahala National Forests;

    (5) provides a wide array of easily accessible hikes for 
 novice and intermediate hikers, as well as more challenging 
 trails for backpacking;

    (6) supports economic opportunities for numerous rural 
 communities which benefit from the visitors of the trail 
 spending their money on accommodations, food, and outdoor 
 supplies;

    (7) runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia, through 
 Tennessee, and extends through the Great Smoky Mountains 
 National Park in North Carolina;

    (8) is physically accessible; and

    (9) can be maintained at a minimal cost because--
        (A) the Benton MacKaye Trail has been maintained at 
 its current length since 2005;
        (B) 95 percent of the Benton MacKaye Trail is 
 located on Federal land; and
            (C) the Benton MacKaye Trail has been successfully 
 constructed, maintained, and managed by the Benton 
 MacKaye Trail Association since 1980.

SEC. 3. BENTON MACKAYE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY.

 

Section 5
            (c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244
            (c) ) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (50) Benton mackaye trail.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Benton MacKaye Trail, a 
 scenic, nonmotorized trail that traverses approximately 
 287 miles in the States of Georgia, Tennessee, and 
 North Carolina.
 ``
        (B) Study.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
 of the enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary of 
 Agriculture, in consultation with interested 
 organizations, including the Benton MacKaye Trail 
 Association, shall complete and submit to Congress the 
 feasibility study for designating the Benton MacKaye 
 Trail as a national scenic trail.''.
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