Sponsors (4)
The bill would create and fast-track study of a long recreational trail that brings significant outdoor-access and local economic benefits, while imposing potential land-use restrictions and modest costs to local infrastructure and federal budgets.
Trail users (hikers and outdoor visitors) gain access to a new protected 287-mile scenic nonmotorized trail across Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, offering routes for novice to advanced users and expanding outdoor recreation and health opportunities.
Rural communities along the route see increased visitor spending on lodging, food, retail, and outdoor services as trail-driven tourism grows, supporting local businesses and jobs.
Public land managers face a relatively low maintenance burden for the trail because about 95% lies on Federal land and there is volunteer association support, reducing ongoing costs to state and local agencies.
Nearby landowners and some recreation users may face increased federal or local land-use oversight and new management restrictions tied to the trail designation, limiting certain uses on or near the route.
Rural communities and local infrastructure could face modest increases in traffic, demand on roads and services, and associated maintenance or public-safety costs as tourism rises.
Preparing and implementing the feasibility study and subsequent trail management may require federal spending that could increase budget outlays or divert funds from other priorities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Adds the Benton MacKaye Trail to the statutory list of national scenic trails and orders a feasibility study for designation to be completed and sent to Congress within one year.
Introduced April 9, 2025 by Chuck Fleischmann · Last progress April 9, 2025
Adds the Benton MacKaye Trail — a roughly 287-mile nonmotorized route across Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina — to the list of national scenic trails and directs the Secretary of Agriculture to complete a feasibility study on its designation and submit the report to Congress within one year of enactment. The bill requires consultation with interested organizations, including the existing trail association, but does not appropriate new funding.