Summary

Creates a formal Benton MacKaye Trail entry in the National Trails System and orders a feasibility study. The law describes the trail as a scenic, nonmotorized route of about 287 miles through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, highlights its recreational and economic benefits to nearby rural communities, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete and send a feasibility study to Congress within one year of enactment.

Key Points

• Creates a statutory entry for the Benton MacKaye Trail in the National Trails System.
• Describes the trail as a ~287-mile scenic, nonmotorized route through GA, TN, and NC.
• Congressional findings highlight recreational value and economic benefits to nearby rural communities.
• Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to complete and send a feasibility study to Congress within one year of enactment.
• Does not authorize or appropriate specific funding for the study or future trail management.
• Assigns the study responsibility to the Department of Agriculture (Forest Service role implicit).
• No additional implementation actions or deadlines are specified beyond the one-year study requirement.
• Could lead to future federal planning or support depending on study results, but those steps are not mandated by this text.

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