IB 

Union Calendar No. 541 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1847 

[Report No. 110–841] 

To amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority relating 

to land acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of the trails 

in the System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2007 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KIND, 

Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. PETRI) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 

Additional sponsors: Mr. ARCURI and Mr. MORAN of Virginia 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 29, 2007] 

A BILL 

To amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal 

authority relating to land acquisition from willing sellers 

for the majority of the trails in the System, and for 

other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Trails System 

5 Willing Seller Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE LAND FROM WILLING 

7 SELLERS FOR CERTAIN TRAILS. 

8 (a) OREGON NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.—Section 

9 5(a)(3) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 

10 1244(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries 

12 of any federally administered area may be acquired by the 

13 Federal Government for the trail except with the consent 

14 of the owner of the land or interest in land. The authority 

15 of the Federal Government to acquire fee title under this 

16 paragraph shall be limited to an average of not more than 

1 17 ⁄4 mile on either side of the trail.’’. 

18 (b) MORMON PIONEER NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.— 

19 Section 5(a)(4) of the National Trails System Act (16 

20 U.S.C. 1244(a)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the 

21 following: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior 

22 boundaries of any federally administered area may be ac23 quired by the Federal Government for the trail except with 

24 the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. 

25 The authority of the Federal Government to acquire fee title 


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1 under this paragraph shall be limited to an average of not 

more than 1 2 ⁄4 mile on either side of the trail.’’. 

3 (c) CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.— 

4 Section 5(a)(5) of the National Trails System Act (16 

5 U.S.C. 1244(a)(5)) is amended by adding at the end the 

6 following: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior 

7 boundaries of any federally administered area may be ac8 quired by the Federal Government for the trail except with 

9 the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. 

10 The authority of the Federal Government to acquire fee title 

11 under this paragraph shall be limited to an average of not 

more than 1 12 ⁄4 mile on either side of the trail.’’. 

13 (d) LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.— 

14 Section 5(a)(6) of the National Trails System Act (16 

15 U.S.C. 1244(a)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the 

16 following: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior 

17 boundaries of any federally administered area may be ac18 quired by the Federal Government for the trail except with 

19 the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. 

20 The authority of the Federal Government to acquire fee title 

21 under this paragraph shall be limited to an average of not 

more than 1 22 ⁄4 mile on either side of the trail.’’. 

23 (e) NORTH COUNTRY NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.—Sec24 tion 5(a)(8) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 

25 1244(a)(8)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries 

2 of any federally administered area may be acquired by the 

3 Federal Government for the trail except with the consent 

4 of the owner of the land or interest in land.’’. 

5 (f) ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.—Section 

6 5(a)(10) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 

7 1244(a)(10)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries 

9 of any federally administered area may be acquired by the 

10 Federal Government for the trail except with the consent 

11 of the owner of the land or interest in land.’’. 

12 (g) POTOMAC HERITAGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.— 

13 Section 5(a)(11) of the National Trails System Act (16 

14 U.S.C. 1244(a)(11)) is amended— 

15 (1) by striking the fourth and fifth sentences; 

16 and 

17 (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘No land 

18 or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries of 

19 any federally administered area may be acquired by 

20 the Federal Government for the trail except with the 

21 consent of the owner of the land or interest in land.’’. 

22 (h) NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.—Section 

23 5(a)(14) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 

24 1244(a)(14)) is amended— 


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1 (1) by striking the fourth and fifth sentences; 

2 and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘No land 

4 or interest in land outside the exterior boundaries of 

5 any federally administered area may be acquired by 

6 the Federal Government for the trail except with the 

7 consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. 

8 The authority of the Federal Government to acquire 

9 fee title under this paragraph shall be limited to an 

average of not more than 1 10 ⁄4 mile on either side of the 

11 trail.’’. 

12 SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 

13 Section 10 of the National Trails System Act (16 

14 U.S.C. 1249) is amended by striking subsection (c) and in15 serting the following: 

16 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided 

18 in this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated 

19 such sums as are necessary to implement the provi20 sions of this Act relating to the trails designated by 

21 section 5(a). 

22 ‘‘(2) NATCHEZ TRACE NATIONAL SCENIC

23 TRAIL.— 

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the 

25 Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (referred to 


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1 in this paragraph as the ‘trail’) designated by 

2 section 5(a)(12)— 

3 ‘‘(i) not more than $500,000 shall be 

4 appropriated for the acquisition of land or 

5 interests in land for the trail; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) not more than $2,000,000 shall be 

7 appropriated for the development of the 

8 trail. 

9 ‘‘(B) PARTICIPATION BY VOLUNTEER TRAIL

10 GROUPS.—The administering agency for the trail 

11 shall encourage volunteer trail groups to partici12 pate in the development of the trail.’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 541 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 1847 

[Report No. 110–841] 

A BILL 

To amend the National Trails System Act to clarify 

in the System, and for other purposes. from willing sellers for the majority of the trails Federal authority relating to land acquisition 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS