S. 2708

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To enhance the preservation, maintenance, and management of national historic trails and national scenic trails, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES · September 4, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Kaine · Committee: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Table of contents

• S. 2708
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Congressional declaration of policy
  • SEC. 3. Definitions
  • SEC. 4. Strengthening administration, management, and operation for national historic trails and national scenic trails
  • SEC. 5. Improving covered trail planning and development

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Appalachian Trail Centennial Act.

SEC. 2. Congressional declaration of policy

• Congress declares that—
  • the large landscape conservation work relating to national historic trails and national scenic trails is built on partnership, collaboration, and community engagement;
  • national historic trails and national scenic trails—
    • are landscape conservation tools; and
    • are federally designated areas, but may include portions of non-Federal land under the National Trails System Act (); 16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.
  • national historic trails and national scenic trails are intended to be developed and preserved over time, collaboratively and cooperatively, to further the purposes of the National Trails System Act (); 16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.
  • the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, 1 of the first 2 components of the National Trails System—
    • is a realm of natural, scenic, historical, and cultural wonder available to all; and
    • is a model for cooperative management and public-private partnership;
  • the centennial of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in 2025 is an opportunity to strengthen the precepts of the cooperative management model—
    • pioneered on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail; and
    • to be replicated as appropriate throughout the National Trails System;
  • the development of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail is in large part due to the efforts of volunteer organizations (commonly referred to as ) that— Appalachian Trail Maintaining Clubs
    • directly or through subdivisions or subsidiary organizations, have coordinated the participation of tens of thousands of volunteers for the planning, construction, development, maintenance, operation, and stewardship of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which inspired the establishment of the National Trails System; and
    • are the expert, dispersed corps of volunteers who provide much of the day-to-day cooperative operation of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail;
  • there are inherently governmental functions referred to in the National Trails System Act () relating to the administration of national historic trails and national scenic trails, which is distinct from the management and operation of those trails; 16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.
  • the Federal Government is responsible for—
    • the administration of national historic trails and national scenic trails; and
    • in cases in which the United States is the landowner, the management of national historic trails and national scenic trails;
  • volunteers, volunteer organizations, and other cooperating individuals or entities are empowered to undertake non-inherently governmental and delegable roles in the management and operation of national historic trails and national scenic trails;
  • the operation of a national historic trail or national scenic trail does not require land management authority over the land on which the national historic trail or national scenic trail is located; and
  • it is the policy of the Federal Government that national historic trails and national scenic trails—
    • are conservation units managed and operated in partnership with governmental and nongovernmental entities; and
    • while administered by Federal agencies, are intended to be cooperatively developed with appropriate non-Federal Governmental and nongovernmental partners.

SEC. 3. Definitions

• In this Act:
  • The term , with respect to a covered trail, means the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary concerned with respect to the covered trail that may not be shared with any other individual or entity. administration
  • The term comprehensive plan means a comprehensive plan for a covered trail submitted under subsection (e) or (f) of section 5 of the National Trails System Act (). 16 U.S.C. 1244
  • The term , with respect to a covered trail, means the negotiated division of roles and responsibilities relating to the stewardship and development of the covered trail that are— cooperative management
  • The term , with respect to a covered trail, means the negotiated management structure for cooperative management of the covered trail, including— cooperative management system
  • The term covered trail means a national historic trail or national scenic trail designated by section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (). 16 U.S.C. 1244(a)
  • The term , with respect to a covered trail, means the 1 or more entities designated for the covered trail under subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 4(b)(1). Designated Operational Partner
  • The term gateway community means a municipality or unincorporated settlement in the vicinity of a covered trail.
  • The term , with respect to a covered trail, means the roles and responsibilities under applicable law of the owner of the land, or any interest in land, on which the covered trail is located with respect to the covered trail. management
  • The term proposed priority list means a proposed priority list for a covered trail developed under section 4(b)(3).
  • The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
  • The term Secretary concerned means—
  • The term visitor capacity means, with respect to a covered trail, the maximum number and types of visitor use that the covered trail can accommodate while achieving and maintaining the desired resource conditions and visitor experiences that are consistent with the purposes for which the covered trail was established, which may vary for different segments of a covered trail.
  • The term volunteer organization means any organization providing operation or management support to a covered trail administrator or land manager, including by organizing volunteers.

SEC. 4. Strengthening administration, management, and operation for national historic trails and national scenic trails

• (a) Status
  • Each covered trail shall be—
    • a unit of the National Trails System; and
    • a unit of the federally administered area to which the Secretary concerned assigns the covered trail.
• (b) Operation
  • (1) Designated Operational Partners
    • (A) Appalachian trail conservancy
      • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall designate the Appalachian Trail Conservancy as the Designated Operational Partner for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
    • (B) Additional designations
      • (i) In addition to the designation under subparagraph (A), the Secretary concerned may designate to serve as the Designated Operational Partner for any other covered trail 1 or more eligible entities described in clause (ii) that the Secretary concerned determines—
      • are capable of supporting the partnership nature of the covered trail as a mechanism for conservation, volunteer mobilization, and land and facility management; and
      • would be successful partners for the applicable covered trail.
      • (ii) An eligible entity referred to in clause (i) is an organization, institution, corporation, or other entity that, as determined by the Secretary concerned—
      • is described in of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of that Code; section 501(c)
      • has demonstrated experience in the operation, maintenance, and preservation of the resources of the covered trail, regardless of whether the experience was before or after the designation of the covered trail under the National Trails System Act (); 16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.
      • has a plan for providing, facilitating, and coordinating the services of volunteers to contribute to the stewardship of the covered trail;
      • has a record, including through a predecessor organization, of engagement with the establishment, management, maintenance, or operation of the covered trail;
      • adheres to reasonable financial, accounting, and risk management practices;
      • adheres to applicable requirements of Federal agreements, grants, and contracts; and
      • would not supplant an organization already serving a substantial operational role trail-wide for the covered trail or across a significant portion of the covered trail, unless the Secretary concerned has determined that the organization being supplanted has failed to perform the responsibilities of the organization under a management agreement with respect to the covered trail.
      • (iii) Qualifications
        • An eligible entity designated as a Designated Operational Partner under clause (i) shall be considered to possesses unique expertise, location capacity, cost-sharing ability, or other unique qualities relevant to the designation as a Designated Operational Partner for the covered trail.

SEC. 5. Improving covered trail planning and development

• (a) Visitor capacity
  • The Secretary concerned shall determine the visitor capacity of a covered trail that is subject to subsection (e) or (f) of section 5 of the National Trails System Act ()— 16 U.S.C. 1244
    • based on the desired conditions of the specific portion or segment of a covered trail rather than the entire covered trail; and
    • in accordance with applicable laws and agency policies, including the applicable comprehensive plan.
• (b) Economic impact assessment
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall identify 1 or more methods to assess the economic impact of covered trails on gateway communities.
  • (2) Requirements
    • In identifying methods under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall, to the maximum extent practicable—
      • aggregate and extrapolate economic impact information from existing data, such as data from land units on which covered trails are located;
      • use State and county economic impact information;
      • partner with State and local governments; and
      • leverage the cooperative management systems of the covered trails and local and landscape-wide partnerships to obtain and process relevant information and report any relevant findings.
• (c) Advancing covered trail planning
  • (1) Findings
    • Congress finds that—
      • the designation of a covered trail is the onset of the long-term development and planning for the covered trail, rather than the conclusion of those activities; and
      • the cultivation of partnerships, the acquisition of land, including interests in land and land use agreements, the conduct of accessible and inclusive interpretation, and the development of recreational facilities, as appropriate for covered trails, are needed to advance the purposes of the National Trails System Act () to meet the ever-expanding outdoor recreation needs of the United States. 16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.
  • (2) Reports
    • The Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting jointly, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives—
      • not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, a report that describes the successes and challenges in developing and planning covered trails; and
      • not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, a report that assesses the desired conditions and use of facilities on each covered trail with respect to—
        • (i) visitor usage of specific segments or sites of the covered trail, including the extent to which visitors use the covered trail in groups of not fewer than 10 individuals;