Sponsors (3)
The bill aims to complete and better coordinate the Continental Divide Trail—boosting recreation, local tourism, and conservation—while relying largely on voluntary partnerships and existing acquisition limits, which reduces compulsory takings but creates funding, timing, and land‑access tradeoffs that could delay completion and impose costs on taxpayers, landowners, and local partners.
Rural and gateway communities will likely see increased tourism and outdoor-recreation spending as a continuous, better‑managed Continental Divide Trail attracts more long‑distance hikers and visitors.
Hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, and nearby residents gain improved, continuous access to a long‑distance trail, supporting public recreation and associated health/wellness benefits.
Completing and coordinating management of the Trail strengthens conservation and public‑land connectivity, helping protect corridors and public‑land values across National Forest and BLM lands.
Taxpayers and federal budgets could face higher costs if Congress funds planning, acquisitions, or construction to meet trail goals, increasing federal outlays or diverting agency resources.
Because there is no guaranteed dedicated funding or mandatory enforcement of deadlines, and the bill relies on volunteers and partnerships, completion and consistent upkeep of the Trail may be slow, uneven, or uncertain.
Identifying gaps, negotiating easements, or completing acquisitions could restrict some current land uses and lead to disputes with private landowners, affecting property rights and local recreational uses.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Directs the Forest Service and BLM to form a joint team, make a development plan, and seek to complete the Continental Divide Trail within 10 years using willing-seller easements and partnerships, subject to appropriations.
Official title: 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.
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Joseph Neguse · Last progress April 10, 2025
Requires the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to form a joint Trail Completion Team and to pursue completing the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail as a continuous route within 10 years, subject to available appropriations and existing land-acquisition law. It directs development of a comprehensive plan (within 3 years of team formation) that maps trail gaps, identifies easement opportunities from willing sellers, and estimates costs, and it encourages partnerships with volunteers and nonprofits without creating new authorities to acquire land beyond current law.