119-s1470

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1470 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1470

 To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
 Interior to prioritize the completion of the Continental Divide 
 National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 10, 2025

 Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Daines) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
 Interior to prioritize the completion of the Continental Divide 
 National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.

 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 ``Continental Divide National Scenic 
Trail Completion Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (2) Trail.--The term ``Trail'' means the Continental Divide 
 National Scenic Trail.

    (3) Trail completion team.--The term ``Trail Completion 
 Team'' means the joint Forest Service-Bureau of Land Management 
 Trail completion team established under 

section 4

    (a) .

SEC. 3. COMPLETION OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.

 Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary and 
the Secretary of the Interior shall seek to complete the Trail as a 
continuous route not later than 10 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 4. TRAIL COMPLETION TEAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall 
establish a joint Forest Service-Bureau of Land Management Trail 
completion team to work in coordination with the administrator of the 
Trail--

    (1) to facilitate the completion and optimization of the 
 Trail, consistent with the purposes of the Trail; and

    (2) to assist in the development of the comprehensive 
 development plan for the Trail under 

section 5.

    (b) Consultation.--As appropriate, the Trail Completion Team shall 
consult with other Federal agencies, affected State, Tribal, and local 
governments, landowners, affected land-grant mercedes owners and users, 
acequias, and other interested parties in--

    (1) the completion and optimization of the Trail; and

    (2) the development and completion of the comprehensive 
 development plan for the Trail under 

section 5.

SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE 
 NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
establishment of the Trail Completion Team under 

section 4

    (a) , the 
Secretary shall complete a comprehensive development plan for the 
Trail.

    (b) Plan Inclusions.--The comprehensive development plan under 
subsection

    (a) shall--

    (1) identify any gaps in the Trail for which the Secretary 
 and the Secretary of the Interior have not been able to acquire 
 land;

    (2) identify opportunities for the use of easements 
 acquired from willing sellers to facilitate completion of the 
 Trail; and

    (3) include general and site-specific Trail development 
 plans, including anticipated costs of the plans.

SEC. 6. PARTNERSHIPS.

 The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall seek to enter 
into agreements with volunteer and nonprofit organizations, as 
appropriate, to facilitate the completion and administration of the 
Trail.

SEC. 7. EFFECT.

 Nothing in this Act--

    (1) provides any authority to acquire land or interests in 
 land for inclusion in the Trail beyond the authorities provided 
 for the Trail in the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1241 
 et seq.), including acquisition by eminent domain; or

    (2) makes the acquisition of land or interests in land for 
 the Trail a priority over other land acquisition 
 authorizations.
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