69–006 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 110–736 

WASHINGTON-ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE 

NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL DESIGNATION ACT 

JULY 8, 2008.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. RAHALL, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1286] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1286) to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National 

Historic Trail, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended 

do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Designation Act’’. 

SEC. 2. ADDITION TO NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS. 

Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended by 

adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(ll) WASHINGTON-ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE NATIONAL HISTORIC

TRAIL.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, a corridor of approximately 600 miles following the route 

taken by the armies of General George Washington and Count Rochambeau between Newport, Rhode Island, and Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 and 1782, as 

generally depicted on the map titled ‘Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary 

Route National Historic Trail’, numbered T01/80,001, and dated June, 2007. 

‘‘(B) MAP.—The map referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be on file and 

available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park 

Service. 

‘‘(C) ADMINISTRATION.—The trail shall be administered by the Secretary of the 

Interior, in consultation with— 

‘‘(i) other Federal, State, tribal, regional, and local agencies; and 

‘‘(ii) the private sector. 


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‘‘(D) LAND ACQUISITION.—The United States shall not acquire for the trail any 

land or interest in land outside the exterior boundary of any federally-managed 

area without the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land.’’. 

SEC. 3. ENERGY. 

Nothing in the amendment made by section 2 of this Act shall prohibit or hinder 

the development, production, conveyance, or transmission of energy. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 1286 is to amend the National Trails System 

Act to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 

National Historic Trail. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

H.R. 1286 would designate an approximately 600-mile national 

historic trail tracing the routes taken by Continental and French 

troops marching from New England to face the British Army at 

Yorktown, Virginia. 

In 1780, as part of the alliance with the 13 colonies seeking to 

overthrow British rule, France sent an army to the aid of General 

George Washington as he prepared for a decisive campaign against 

General Charles Lord Cornwallis. General Jean Baptiste Donatien 

de Vimeur, comte de (Count) Rochambeau sailed into Newport, 

Rhode Island, at the head of the Expedition Particuliere, an army 

of 450 officers and 5,300 men. 

After wintering in Newport, Rochambeau’s army marched 

through Rhode Island and Connecticut in June and July of 1781, 

and joined General George Washington’s 4,000-man Continental 

Army in Philipsburg, New York. The American and French troops 

took a combination of strategic roads and waterways from 

Philipsburg through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, the future District of Columbia, and Virginia, reaching Williamsburg in late September 1781. 

With a French fleet blocking the Chesapeake, barring British reinforcements from New York or a sea escape for Cornwallis’ army, 

Washington and Rochambeau’s three-week siege of Yorktown 

ended in Cornwallis’ surrender to Washington on October 19, 1781. 

After their victory, Washington and the Continentals returned to 

defend northern posts while Rochambeau and his troops wintered 

in Williamsburg prior to marching north the following summer. 

Both armies were warmly celebrated by the towns and cities along 

their return routes. 

A study by the National Park Service, authorized by the 106th 

Congress (Public Law 106–473), examined the corridor along that 

historic march and concluded that the trail is suitable and feasible 

for designation as a national historic trail under the National 

Trails System Act. The National Park Service’s preferred alternative, which the bill implements, outlines a route that mostly follows existing public roads; some segments are on public lands (especially lands owned by local jurisdictions) or near publicly regulated navigable waters. While the historic route does cross some 

private lands, the NPS study states ‘‘No federal acquisition of lands 

or interests in lands is proposed or anticipated. . . . Management 

of the trail would depend on cooperative partnerships.’’


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COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 1286 was introduced on March 21, 2007, by Representative 

Maurice Hinchey (D–NY). The bill was referred to the Committee 

on Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. On October 30, 2007, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill, at which 

a representative of the National Park Service testified that the Administration supports H.R. 1286. 

On June 25, 2008, the Full Natural Resources Committee met to 

consider the bill. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests 

and Public Lands was discharged from further consideration of 

H.R. 1286. Subcommittee Chairman Rau ́l Grijalva (D–AZ) offered 

an amendment to update the map citation. The amendment was 

agreed to by voice vote. Representative Robert J. Wittman (R–VA) 

offered an amendment to clarify that the designation of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail 

shall neither prohibit nor hinder the development, production, conveyance or transmission of energy. The amendment was agreed to 

by voice vote. The bill as amended was then ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by voice vote. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United States 

grants Congress the authority to enact this bill. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII 

1. Cost of Legislation. Clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison by the Committee of the costs which would be incurred in carrying out this bill. However, clause 3(d)(3)(B) of that rule provides 

that this requirement does not apply when the Committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

2. Congressional Budget Act. As required by clause 3(c)(2) of rule 

XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 

308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, this bill does not 

contain any new budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures. 

3. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill is to amend the National Trails System Act to designate 

the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. 

4. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate. Under clause 

3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and 

section 403 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the ComVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:29 Jul 09, 2008 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR736.XXX HR736

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mittee has received the following cost estimate for this bill from the 

Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

H.R. 1286—Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National 

Historic Trail Designation Act 

H.R. 1286 would amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route as a National Historic Trail. The route spans over 600 miles across nine 

states and the District of Columbia and traces the marches taken 

by the American and French armies during the Yorktown campaign of the Revolutionary War. The National Park Service (NPS) 

would administer the trail and coordinate the efforts of public and 

private entities on trail administration, planning, development, and 

maintenance. 

Based on information provided by the NPS and assuming the 

availability of appropriated funds, CBO estimates that establishing, developing, and administering the proposed historic trail 

would cost about $2 million over the 2009–2013 period. Of this 

amount, we estimate that the NPS would spend about $300,000 

over the next three years to prepare a comprehensive management 

plan for the trail. In addition, we estimate that the NPS would 

spend about $350,000 annually beginning in 2010 to operate and 

maintain the interpretive program for trail visitors. 

The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on State, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Deborah Reis and 

Matthew Pickford. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, 

Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4 

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

H.R. 1286 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e) 

or 9(f) of rule XXI. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italic 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

SECTION 5 OF THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT 

* * * * * * * 


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NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAILS

SEC. 5. (a) National scenic and national historic trails shall be 

authorized and designated only by Act of Congress. There are hereby established the following National Scenic and National Historic 

Trails: 

(1) * * * 

* * * * * * * 

(ll) WASHINGTON-ROCHAMBEAU REVOLUTIONARY ROUTE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail, a corridor of approximately 600 miles following the route taken by the armies of 

General George Washington and Count Rochambeau between 

Newport, Rhode Island, and Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781 and 

1782, as generally depicted on the map titled ‘‘Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail’’, numbered T01/80,001, and dated June, 2007. 

(B) MAP.—The map referred to in subparagraph (A) shall be 

on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park Service. 

(C) ADMINISTRATION.—The trail shall be administered by the 

Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with—

(i) other Federal, State, tribal, regional, and local agencies; and 

(ii) the private sector. 

(D) LAND ACQUISITION.—The United States shall not acquire 

for the trail any land or interest in land outside the exterior 

boundary of any federally-managed area without the consent of 

the owner of the land or interest in land. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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