Congress passed the national trails system act, signed into law by president johnson on october 2, 1968. Usda secretary announces infrastructure improvements for. A brief overview congressional research service 2 was developed in the 1920s and 1930s. The rehabilitation of a popular section of trail on bear mountain in new york connects urban dwellers to the famous footpath, and is an opus to trail design, ingenuity, and volunteerism. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the. The act established two national scenic trails the. To esba blish a national trails system, and for other purposes. A national trail management corridor includes public land area of sufficient width to encompass national trail system resources, qualities, values, and associated settings. A new category, national historic trails, was added in 1978.
By the authority vested in me as president by the constitution and the laws of the united states of america, and in furtherance of purposes of the national trails system act of 1968, as amended 16 u. We speak often of the 2,000 miles yet to be built of the north country trail across private land. Consistent 6ith the purposes of that act, and in werance of the national policy to. It also commits the forest service to take action in six different areas to meet the challenges of achieving a sustainable trail system. A national trail management corridor is a designation based on section 7a of the national trails system act rightsofway. Preservation and development of rail trails is also fostered in this act. Download the national trails system pdf map 2010 screenviewable file 3. National trails system act and railroad rightsofway, 8992.
Consistent with the purposes of that act, and in furtherance of the national policy to preserve established railroad rightsofway for future reactivation of rail service, to. National trails system act and railroad rightsofway, 89928995 201397 download as pdf 8992 federal register vol. The nps can utilize all authorities relating to units of the national park system in administering national scenic and national historic trails. From the first two trails designated by the original act the massive appalachian and.
Administration and development of national trails system 1247. National trails system act continental divide trail. The pacific crest national scenic trail, a trail of approximately two thousand three hundred fifty miles, extending from the mexicancalifornia border northward generally along the mountain ranges of the west coast states to the canadianwashington border near lake ross, following the route as generally depicted on the map, identified as nationwide system of trails, proposed pacific crest. Railroad revitalization and regulatory reform act of 1976 45 u.
The board is instituting a proceeding to clarify, update, and seek public comments on proposed changes to its existing regulations and procedures regarding the use of railroad rightsofway for railbanking and interim trail use under section 8d of the national trails system act trails act, 16 u. Crm volume 14 1991 volume 25 2002 crm was published from 1991 to 2002. Become a supporter of the partnership for the national trail system today. National trails system act presently permitted or appropriate, shall not be prohibited by administrative direction in the future.
These experiences, and hundreds more, can be found in every state across the nation, on americas national trails system. As the 50th anniversary of the national trails system act approaches, the blm invites you to connect, explore, and discover national scenic, historic, and recreation trail traces and places located on blm public lands. Combine that with the needs of the other 29 national scenic and historic trails and the number of miles and acres needed to fulfill the vision set by the national trails system act becomes overwhelming. View the national trails system map a large pdf file which must be viewed with adobe acrobat reader. Of these studied trails, twentyone have been established as part of the system. National trails system act fact sheet a b o u t in his 1965 natural beauty message to congress, president lyndon b. Finally, congress passed the national trails system act and the president signed it into law on oct.
It provided information for parks, federal agencies, indian tribes, states, local governments, and the private sector to promote and maintain high standards for preserving and managing cultural resources. The national trails system act of 1968, as amended, calls for establishing trails in both urban and rural settings for people of all ages, interests, skills, and physical abilities. The act established two national scenic trails the appalachian and the pacific crest and called for studies of 14 other routes. Act, which will be extended trails so located as to provide for maximum outdoor recreation. Be it enacted by the senate and house of representatives of the united states of america in congress assembled, short title section l. Indeed, the trail act itself was part of the conservation grand slam of october 2, 1968, when president lyndon johnson signed four bills into law. Download this publication for free pdf format this publication is available in electronic format only. National trails system act legislative documents september, 1999 this index of documents include the hearings, committee reports, bills, and other related documents related to the national trails system act of 1968 p. Fullcolor map describes eight national scenic trails and nine national historic trails.
A brief overview congressional research service r43868 version 6 updated 1 he national trails system act 16 u. National recreation trails are existing trails recognized by the federal government as contributing to the national trails system. Today, the national trails system nts includes 11 national scenic trails and 19 national historic trails authorized by congress, and more than 1,200 national recreation trails including 21 national water trails. The partnership for the national trails system pnts is a 501c3 that connects member notforprofit trail organizations and federal agency partners to further the protection, completion, and stewardship of the 30 national scenic and historic trails within the national trails system. Lewis and clark national historic trail extension study public scoping newsletter, 2010 national trails system act, p. This year the nation celebrates the 50 th anniversary of the national trails systems act which established americas system of national scenic, historic, and recreation trails. Johnson inspired a national system of trails for the american people. The national trails system act national park service. National trails system act legislation national trails. This act may be cited as the national trails system act. An act to amend the national trails system act by designating additional national scenic and historic trails, and for other purposes. The act promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of trails. National trails system a the national system of trails shall be composed of the following.
National scenic trails, national recreation trails, and connecting trails that would link up the major components of the budding system. Webinars partnership for the national trails system. This report shows the collaborative impact of the nonprofit trail organizations and federal agency partners, using the 50th anniversary of the national trails system act as a benchmark. A brief overview congressional research service 1 he national trails system act of 1968 116 u.
About us partnership for the national trails system. National recreation trail nrt is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health. Partnership for the national trails system state of the trails report 2018. Nps download the national trails system 50th anniversary pdf map 2018 screenviewable file 4. To amend the national trails system act to direct the secretary of the interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the chief standing bear national historic trail, and for other purposes added 02212020 at 02. Section 5a10 of the national trails system act 16 u. Specifically, the act authorized three types of trails. Land protection and the national trails system north. To find out more information and explore what the national scenic trails have to offer, view the information about each trail below. The nonunit trails have potential access to most of the nps budget accounts and programs. A year focused on trails presents a pivotal opportunity for the forest service and partners to lead a shift toward a system of sustainable trails that are maintained.
To amend the national trails system act to direct the secretary of the interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the chief standing bear national historic trail, and for other purposes. C 1247 d d interim use of railroad rightsofway the secretary of transportation, the chairman of the interstate commerce commission, and the secretary of the interior, in administering the railroad revitalization and regulatory reform act of 1976 45 u. The national trails system act turns 50 preserving our heritage, one trail at a time amid the tumultuous era of the vietnam war, the civil rights movement, and a push for womens liberation, a less controversial piece of legislation also appeared on the scene. The act created a series of national trails to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the openair, outdoor areas and historic resources of the nation, and was last. To this end, the act established distinct trail categories. The trails act was enacted in 1968 to establish a nationwide system of recreation and scenic trails.
Gold star mothers families national monument extension act, as amended. Many railtrail conversions are railbanked under section 8d of the national trails system act, often called the railbanking act or the railsto trails act. State and local area recreation and historic trails 1248. This story map shares 25 ways to set your sights on finding exceptional trail experiences or to simply learn more about them. The act promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of trails while encouraging greater public access.
National trails are officially established under the authorities of the national trails system act 16 usc 124151. The use of motorized vehicles by the general public along the national scenic trails, on the other hand, is expressly prohibited. National scenic trails are 100 miles or longer, continuous, primarily nonmotorized routes of outstanding recreation opportunity. He was a key player in bchas effort with the wilderness society, regional and national partnersincluding ahs and pntsthat demonstrated a groundswell of public support and cultivated bipartisan congressional sponsors for the national forest system trails stewardship act. The national trails system was created by the national trails system act codified at 16 u. Trails designated through the national trails system act provide millions of visitors rewarding and enjoyable experiences. As originally enacted, it did not contain any special provisions for railroad rightsofway. Nps pepc background information national park service. Rail trails are subject to a unique, and occasionally complex, mixture of federal and state law. State and local area recreation and historic trails. Many of the most important benefits of national trails are. An act to establish a national trails system, and for other purposes. Today, the national trails system consists of 30 national scenic and historic trails and over 1,000 national recreation trail and two connectingandside trails, with a total length of more than 50,000 miles 80,000 km. Federal register national trails system act and railroad.
These national trails are a popular way of linking together thousands of significant historic sites and drawing attention to local cultural and natural resources. Nts act, section 7i trail volunteers can be recognized as nps volunteerinparks, and compensated for. The national strategy for a sustainable trail system establishes a set of core values that will guide the behaviors and efforts of the agency and its partners. The national trails system act turns 50 the student. Amendments to the national trails system act national trails system act amendments of 1983 amends the national trails system act to state as an additional purpose of such act the encouragement of volunteer citizen involvement in the development and management of national trails. Domenici, from the committee on energy and natural resources, submitted the following r e p o r t to accompany s.
The national trails system act of 1968 public law 90543 authorized creation of a. Click on magnifying glass to magnify charts and graphics. A brief overview congressional research service 1 he national trails system act of 1968 16 u. The act created a series of national trails to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the openair, outdoor areas and historic resources of the nation.
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