El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 
National Historic Trail Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (the Royal Road of the 
        Interior), served as the primary route between the colonial 
        Spanish capital of Mexico City and the Spanish provincial 
        capitals at San Juan de Los Caballeros (1598-1600), San Gabriel 
        (1600-1609) and Santa Fe (1610-1821);
            (2) the portion of El Camino Real in what is now the United 
        States extended between El Paso, Texas, and present San Juan 
        Pueblo, New Mexico, a distance of 404 miles;
            (3) El Camino Real is a symbol of the cultural interaction 
        between nations and ethnic groups and of the commercial 
        exchange that made possible the development and growth of the 
        borderland;
            (4) American Indian groups, especially the Pueblo Indians 
        of the Rio Grande, developed trails for trade long before 
        Europeans arrived;
            (5) in 1598, Juan de Onate led a Spanish military 
        expedition along those trails to establish the northern portion 
        of El Camino Real;
            (6) during the Mexican National Period and part of the 
        United States Territorial Period, El Camino Real facilitated 
        the emigration of people to New Mexico and other areas that 
        were to become part of the United States;
            (7) the exploration, conquest, colonization, settlement, 
        religious conversion, and military occupation of a large area 
        of the borderland was made possible by El Camino Real, the 
        historical period of which extended from 1598 to 1882;
            (8) American Indians, European emigrants, miners, ranchers, 
        soldiers, and missionaries used El Camino Real during the 
        historic development of the borderland, promoting cultural 
        interaction among Spaniards, other Europeans, American Indians, 
        Mexicans, and Americans; and
            (9) El Camino Real fostered the spread of Catholicism, 
        mining, an extensive network of commerce, and ethnic and 
        cultural traditions including music, folklore, medicine, foods, 
        architecture, language, place names, irrigation systems, and 
        Spanish law.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.

    Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) 
is amended--
            (1) by designating the paragraphs relating to the 
        California National Historic Trail, the Pony Express National 
        Historic Trail, and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic 
        Trail as paragraphs (18), (19), and (20), respectively; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(21) El camino real de tierra adentro.--
                    ``(A) In general.--El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 
                (the Royal Road of the Interior) National Historic 
                Trail, a 404 mile long trail from the Rio Grande near 
                El Paso, Texas to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, as 
                generally depicted on the maps entitled `United States 
                Route: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro', contained in 
                the report prepared pursuant to subsection (b) entitled 
                `National Historic Trail Feasibility Study and 
                Environmental Assessment: El Camino Real de Tierra 
                Adentro, Texas-New Mexico', dated March 1997.
                    ``(B) Map.--A map generally depicting the trail 
                shall be on file and available for public inspection in 
                the Office of the National Park Service, Department of 
                the Interior.
                    ``(C) Administration.--The trail shall be 
                administered by the Secretary of the Interior.
                    ``(D) Land acquisition.--No land or interest in 
                land outside the exterior boundaries of any federally 
                administered area may be acquired by the United States 
                for the trail except with the consent of the owner of 
                the land or interest in land.
                    ``(E) Volunteer groups; consultation.--The 
                Secretary of the Interior shall--
                            ``(i) encourage volunteer trail groups to 
                        participate in the development and maintenance 
                        of the trail; and
                            ``(ii) consult with affected Federal, 
                        State, and tribal agencies in the 
                        administration of the trail.
                    ``(F) Coordination of activities.--The Secretary of 
                the Interior may coordinate with United States and 
                Mexican public and non-governmental organizations, 
                academic institutions, and, in consultation with the 
                Secretary of State, the government of Mexico and its 
                political subdivisions, for the purpose of exchanging 
                trail information and research, fostering trail 
                preservation and educational programs, providing 
                technical assistance, and working to establish an 
                international historic trail with complementary 
                preservation and education programs in each nation.''.

Summary: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Act - Amends the National Trails System Act to designate the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a 404-mile trail from the Rio Grande River near El Paso, Texas, to San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, as a component of the National Trails System. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer the trail. Requires owner consent for any Federal land acquisition along the trail. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage volunteer groups to develop and maintain the trail. And (2) consult with affected Federal, State, and tribal agencies in its administration. Authorizes the Secretary to coordinate trail activities and programs with the Government of Mexico and Mexican non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.