69–010 

Calendar No. 129 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 115–99 

NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL ROUTE 

ADJUSTMENT ACT 

JUNE 8, 2017.—Ordered to be printed 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 363] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 363) to revise the authorized route of the North 

Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern Minnesota and to 

extend the trail into Vermont to connect with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of S. 363 is to revise the route of the North Country 

National Scenic Trail in northeastern Minnesota and to extend the 

trail into Vermont to connect with the Appalachian National Scenic 

Trail. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The North Country National Scenic Trail (Trail) was designated 

and added to the National Trails System on March 5, 1980 (Public 

Law 96–199). The Trail traverses seven states: North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. 

Portions of the Trail cross four National Parks, 10 National Forests, and numerous other Federal, State, and lands administered 

by local governments. The Trail also crosses many miles of privately owned lands. The National Park Service (NPS) administers 

the Trail. The comprehensive management plan for the Trail was 

2 

issued in 1982. Currently, about 2,000 miles of trail along the 4,200 

miles of the authorized route have been built. 

The authorized route of the Trail in northeastern Minnesota traverses more than 70 miles of black spruce and tamarack swamp, 

extending westward from Jay Cooke State Park, south of Duluth, 

and to the Chippewa National Forest, southwest of Grand Rapids. 

Because of the location and difficult environmental conditions within the swamp, no portion of this section of the Trail has been constructed. For many years, advocates for the Trail have proposed 

what has become known as the ‘‘Arrowhead Reroute’’ to avoid this 

area. 

The NPS conducted an Environmental Assessment (EA) to select 

the route for both the Arrowhead Reroute and the Trail extension. 

Public meetings and comment periods were included in each process. The NPS signed the Arrowhead Reroute EA in September 2004 

and the trail extension EA in December 2013. 

The ‘‘Arrowhead Reroute’’ would use over 300 miles of existing 

hiking trails, following the north shore of Lake Superior and traversing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Superior National Forest, a region of the state known locally as the ‘‘Arrowhead.’’ New sections that would need to be constructed to complete the reroute in the Chippewa and Superior National Forests, 

Minnesota state parks and forests, and county-owned lands, would 

have to be reviewed for environmental impacts on critical habitat, 

endangered species, wetlands, and cultural resources. In areas 

along the new trail segment where no public land exists, the NPS 

would seek to develop the Trail on private property by acquiring 

the land in fee or acquiring an easement. The proposed reroute of 

the Trail would increase the total length of the North Country National Scenic Trail by about 550 miles for a total of 4,600 miles. 

S. 363 would modify the route of the North Country National 

Scenic Trail to incorporate the trails in the ‘‘Arrowhead’’ and exclude the portions crossing through the tamarack swamp. In addition, the bill would connect the North Country National Scenic 

Trail with the Appalachian National Scenic Trail by extending the 

Trail from its current eastern terminus at Crown Point, New York, 

into Vermont. By connecting these two scenic trails, hikers would 

be able to travel from the plains of North Dakota across the Great 

Lakes region to Vermont and on as far south as Georgia. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 363 was introduced by Senators Klobuchar, Baldwin, Franken, 

Gillibrand, Heitkamp, Hoeven, Leahy, Peters, Sanders, and Stabenow on February 13, 2017. 

An identical bill, H.R. 1026, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Nolan and 32 others on February 

13, 2017. 

In the 114th Congress, Senators Klobuchar, Leahy, Franken, 

Sanders, Stabenow, Gillibrand, Baldwin, and Peters introduced a 

similar bill, S. 403, on February 5, 2015. On June 10, 2015, the 

Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on the bill and the 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ordered the bill to be 

reported favorably, as amended, at its business meeting on July 30, 

2015 (S. Rept. No. 114–125). 

3 

The measure was included in Amendment No. 3234, which the 

Senate agreed to on April 19, 2016, as an amendment to S. 2012, 

the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, which the Senate 

passed, as amended, on April 20, 2016. 

An identical bill, H.R. 799, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Nolan and 34 others on February 5, 

2015. 

In the 113th Congress, Senators Klobuchar, Leahy, Levin, Stabenow, Sanders, Franken, Gillibrand, and Baldwin introduced a similar bill, S. 2595, on July 10, 2014. A companion bill, H.R. 4736, was 

introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives 

Nolan, Welch, Peterson, Walz, Petri, Ellison, McCollum, and Paulsen on May 22, 2014. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in an open 

business session on March 30, 2017, and ordered S. 363 favorably 

reported without amendment. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on March 30, 2017, by a voice vote of a 

quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 363. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides the short title. 

Section 2. Route adjustment 

Section 2 amends section 5(a)(8) of the National Trails System 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)(8)) to expand the authorized length of the 

Trail from 3,200 miles to approximately 4,600 miles, extending 

from Minnesota to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. Additionally, 

section 2 amends the title of the map identifying the route to 

‘‘North Country National Scenic Trail, Authorized Route,’’ dated 

February 2014, and numbered 649/116870. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the costs of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 363—North Country Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act 

S. 363 would revise the route of the North Country National Scenic Trail, which currently runs through seven states from New 

York to North Dakota. Specifically, the bill would connect the trail 

to the Appalachian Scenic Trail in Vermont, adding about 550 

miles to its overall length. 

Based on information provided by the National Park Service, 

which administers the trail, and assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing S. 363 would 

cost about $5 million over the 2018–2022 period. Most of that 

amount would be spent to acquire private land (or easements on 

that land) along the new trail segment. CBO estimates that ongoing costs to develop, manage, and maintain the added property 

would be negligible. 

4 

Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates 

that enacting S. 363 would not increase net direct spending or onbudget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

S. 363 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 contact for this estimate is Jon Sperl. The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

S. 363. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of S. 363, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 363, as ordered reported, does not contain any congressionally 

directed spending items, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Because S. 363 is similar to legislation considered by the Committee in the 114th Congress, the Committee did not request Executive Agency views. The testimony provided by the NPS at the 

hearing before the Subcommittee on National Parks on June 10, 

2015 follows: 

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for 

the opportunity to appear before you today to present the Department of the Interior’s views on S. 403, to revise the authorized 

route of the North Country National Scenic Trail in northeastern 

Minnesota and to extend the trail into Vermont to connect with the 

Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes. 

The Department supports enactment of S. 403. This legislation 

would make two critically important improvements to the North 

Country National Scenic Trail: it would reroute a portion of the 

trail in Minnesota around dense swampland, and it would link this 

trail to the Appalachian Trail. 

S. 403 would amend section 5(a)(8) of the National Trails System 

Act to revise the route of the trail in northeastern Minnesota and 

extend the trail beyond its current terminus in New York eastward 

into Vermont, increasing the total length of the trail from approximately 4,000 miles to approximately 4,600 miles. We note that although the legislated length of the trail is 3,200 miles, this figure 

was based upon estimates at the time of the passage of the bill that 

5 

authorized the trail, and more accurate mapping has since shown 

the actual mileage to be closer to 4,000 miles. 

The North Country National Scenic Trail was authorized by Congress in 1980 to provide superlative outdoor recreation opportunities and conservation of nationally significant scenic, historic, natural and cultural qualities along the trail corridor, to provide a premier trail experience, and to encourage and assist volunteer citizen 

involvement in the planning, development, maintenance and management of the trail. The trail, which is one of six designated National Scenic Trails administered by the National Park Service, 

spans much of the northern United States, stretching from North 

Dakota to New York. 

The current authorized route of the trail in northeastern Minnesota traverses approximately 93 miles of black spruce and tamarack swamp, extending westward from Jay Cooke State Park south 

of Duluth, to the Chippewa National Forest southwest of Grand 

Rapids. Because of the location and difficult environmental conditions within the swamp, no portion of this section of the trail has 

been constructed. Approximately seventy percent of the proposed 

revision—referred to as the Arrowhead Reroute—consists of three 

existing hiking trails: the Superior Hiking Trail, the Border Route 

Trail, and the Kekekabic Trail. These trails, which total approximately 400 miles, follow the north shore of Lake Superior and traverse the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the Superior 

National Forest. The remaining portion of the Arrowhead Reroute—approximately 173 miles—would be new trail located over a 

combination of public and private lands. The net total 2 increase 

in the Minnesota portion of the North Country National Scenic 

Trail would be approximately 480 miles. 

Since 1987, Minnesota hiking groups have repeatedly asked the 

NPS to study the revised route. In response to these requests, the 

NPS conducted the Northeastern Minnesota Route Assessment between 1999 and 2004. In 2003 and 2004, the National Park Service 

held public meetings in Duluth, Ely, Grand Rapids, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Public comments reflected broad overall support for the Arrowhead Reroute, and strong support among the affected public agencies and jurisdictions. The plan and environmental assessment were approved by the NPS on September 30, 

2004. 

The extension of the trail route into Vermont would add approximately 66 miles to the North Country National Scenic Trail, 40 of 

which are already existing trails. The addition would extend from 

the trail’s current terminus near Crown Point, New York, east to 

a point to be determined along the Long Trail—a National Recreation Trail in Vermont. The Long Trail then connects to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail at Maine Junction just east of Rutland, Vermont. 

In the fall of 2009, the National Park Service began a study of 

the potential extension of the North Country National Scenic Trail 

in Vermont. In February 2010, three public meetings were held to 

announce the study and present conceptual corridors. Additional 

meetings were held with key stakeholders in October 2011. A public meeting to review the draft report was held on May 21, 2012. 

Public comments, and written and electronic responses, reflected 

broad overall support. The Feasibility Study Corridor Plan and EnVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:17 Jun 09, 2017 Jkt 069010 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR099.XXX SR099
6 

vironmental Assessment for Addison County, Vermont, was approved by the NPS on December 16, 2013. 

The NPS anticipates the cost of constructing and maintaining 

the Arrowhead reroute and the Vermont extension of the North 

Country National Scenic Trail would be manageable because the 

work would be done primarily by volunteers using hand tools, and 

current NPS staff would provide route planning and support for the 

volunteers who would help develop and maintain the path. 

As an example, the North Country Trail Association and partners have committed to developing the connecting trail segments 

that will be needed between the end of the Kekekabic Trail and the 

Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. Funding would be needed 

to supply trail markers, signage, tools, equipment, and materials. 

Recent average expenditures for volunteer supplies have cost the 

North Country National Scenic Trail approximately $60,000 per 

year. The net increase of approximately 546 miles to the current 

trail would increase operational costs by approximately $7,000, 

split between NPS support and that independently generated by 

the trail chapters and affiliates. The NPS portions could be accommodated within the trail’s current budget. 

The portions of the North Country National Scenic Trail that 

have yet to be built have not been laid out in detail. Rather, the 

studies identified respective corridors several miles wide within 

which the trail would eventually be laid out. The flexibility provided by these corridors would allow the NPS and its partners to 

design routes that will minimize the amount of private land involved. 

Public Law 111–11, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act 

of 2009, provides authority for Federal agencies to acquire lands or 

interests in lands from willing sellers for the North Country National Scenic Trail. As a National Scenic Trail based upon strong 

public-private partnerships and engaged volunteers, there is an opportunity to implement the proposed re-route and extension 

through a variety of actions and expenditures. Options for allowing 

access range from outright donation, to easements and access 

agreements facilitated by partner organizations, to fee simple acquisition from willing sellers. However, it is the intention of the 

NPS to pursue donations, easements, and agreements to ensure access whenever possible. Consequently, the NPS is unable to estimate land acquisition costs. However, efforts would be made to 

keep Federal expenditures to a minimum. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. I would be glad to 

answer any questions that you or other members of the subcommittee may have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by S. 363, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted 

is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

PUBLIC LAW 90–543, as amended 

* * * * * * * 

7 

SECTION 5. NATIONAL SCENIC AND NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS. 

(a) * * * 

(8) The North Country National Scenic Trail, a trail of approximately øthirty-two hundred miles, extending from eastern 

New York State¿ 4,600 miles, extending from the Appalachian 

Trail in Vermont to the vicinity of Lake Sakakawea in North 

Dakota, following the approximate route depicted on the map 

identified as ø‘Proposed North Country Trail-Vicinity Map’ in 

the Department of the Interior ‘‘North Country Trail Report’’, 

dated June l975¿ ‘‘North Country National Scenic Trail, Authorized Route’’ dated February 2014, and numbered 649/ 

116870. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Director, National Park Service, 

Washington, District of Columbia. The trail shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior. No land or interest in 

land outside the exterior boundaries of any federally administered area may be acquired by the Federal Government for the 

trail except with the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. 

Æ