59–010 

Calendar No. 601 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 114–328 

AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL ACT OF 2016 

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016.—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. 2608] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 2608) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior 

and the Secretary of Agriculture to place signage on Federal land 

along the trail known as the ‘‘American Discovery 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. 2608 is to authorize the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to place signage on Federal 

land along the trail known as the ‘‘American Discovery Trail.’’ 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

The American Discovery Trail (Trail) is our nation’s only coastto-coast, non-motorized, multi-use trail, and stretches across 6,800 

miles and 15 states. Its route links existing trails, rail-trails, country lanes, small town sidewalks, and big city greenways. It connects rural towns and cities with parks and wilderness, and allows 

people to hike, bike, or ride horses for an afternoon or a cross-country adventure. 

The Trail uses existing public lands to connect: five National Scenic, 12 National Historic, and 34 National Recreational Trails; 14 

National Parks; and 16 National Forests. It links some 10,000 sites 

of historic, cultural, and natural significance. The Trail is a ‘‘seato-shining-sea’’ showcase of America’s scenic, historic, and cultural 

treasures. 

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S. 2608 would authorize the Trail to be fully marked with signage. Currently, many federal, state, and local land managers will 

not allow signs to be installed without an official federal authorization. The bill would authorize signage only and would not change 

or effect management of lands along the Trail. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 2608 was introduced by Senators Kirk and Coons on March 1, 

2016. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing to consider the bill on March 17, 2016. 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 

business session on July 13, 2016, and ordered S. 2608 favorably 

reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 

open business session on July 13, 2016, by a majority voice vote of 

a quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass S. 2608. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 provides a short title for the measure. 

Section 2. Definitions 

Section 2 provides definitions. 

Section 3. Signage along the American Discovery Trail 

Section 3 directs the Secretary to place signage on Federal land 

as soon as practicable, and specifies that no Federal funds may be 

used to acquire such signage. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of costs of this measure has been provided 

by the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, August 19, 2016. 

Hon. LISA MURKOWSKI, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2608, the American Discovery Trail Act of 2016. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. 

Sincerely, 

MARK P. HADLEY

(For Keith Hall, Director). 

Enclosure. 

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S. 2608—American Discovery Trail Act of 2016 

S. 2608 would require federal land management agencies to place 

donated signage along the American Discovery Trail, a 6,800-mile 

trail between Delaware and California. Based on information provided by the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Forest Service, 

and the likely donor of the signage, CBO estimates that the costs 

to implement the bill would not be significant. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, payas-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase 

net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. 

Based on an analysis of information provided by the likely donor 

of the signage, CBO estimates that, under the bill, the Forest Service and agencies within DOI would be required to place between 

2,500 and 5,000 small signs across the United States. Because we 

expect that the signage would be placed by employees performing 

routine trail maintenance and by volunteers supervised by the affected agencies, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would 

cost less than $500,000, assuming appropriation of the necessary 

amounts. 

S. 2608 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 Jeff LaFave. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, 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. 2608. 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. 2608, as ordered reported. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

S. 2608, 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

The testimony provided by the National Park Service at the 

March 17, 2016, Subcommittee on National Parks hearing on S. 

2608 follows: 

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STATEMENT OF PEGGY O’DELL, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank 

you for the opportunity to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 2608, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to 

place signage on Federal land along the trail known as the 

‘‘American Discovery Trail’’, and for other purposes. 

The Department would not oppose S. 2608, if amended 

to make the authority to place signage discretionary rather 

than mandatory, as explained later in this testimony. 

S. 2608 would direct the Secretary of the Interior and 

the Secretary of Agriculture to place signage denoting the 

American Discovery Trail, which is not part of the National Trail System, on Federal land at points along the 

trail, as soon as practicable after signage acceptable to the 

respective Secretary is donated. The bill also prohibits the 

use of Federal funds for the acquisition of this signage. 

The American Discovery Trail (ADT) was proposed in 

1990 as a continuous mid-continent, coast-to-coast trail to 

link metropolitan areas to the nation’s major long-distance 

trails, as well as to shorter local and regional trails. In October 1992, through P.L. 102–461, Congress directed the 

Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility and desirability of adding the ADT to the National Trails System. 

This study was completed in December of 1995, and submitted to Congress in 1998. The over 6,000-mile route of 

the ADT, as described in this legislation and mapped in 

the feasibility study, extends from Cape Henlopen State 

Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in 

California. 

The study found that the ADT could be appropriate for 

designation as a new class of national trails—National 

Discovery Trails—separate from National Scenic Trails or 

National Historic Trails. One of the primary reasons for 

proposing the establishment of National Discovery Trails 

would be to address a potential conflict with National Scenic Trails following roads. When the ADT was initially proposed, a guiding principle in identifying the trail’s route 

was that it be located on public lands and rights-of-way to 

avoid the acquisition of private land. This meant that the 

proposed trail often was routed along roads. The National 

Trails System Act specifically prohibits the use of motorized vehicles along National Scenic Trails. This new class 

of trails could be located along roadways, if necessary, to 

make the trails continuous. 

Congress has not taken action to authorize a new category of national trails within the national trails system or 

to designate the American Discovery Trail as part of that 

national system as the first National Discovery Trail. 

In addition, the Department is concerned that the requirement in S. 2608 to place signage denoting the American Discovery Trail on Federal land at points along the 

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trail could compromise Federal land managers’ ability to 

exercise their discretion with regard to the location of signage and the protection of sensitive resources. 

Individual Federal land managers may allow the signage 

of non-Federal trails upon Federal lands, where appropriate, and in accordance with existing Federal laws, regulations, and policies. However, Federal land managers also 

may decline a request to allow signage of a non-Federal 

trail in instances where they believe the signage may have 

a detrimental impact upon visitor safety or resource protection. 

Furthermore, significant portions of the American Discovery Trail are located along roadways. While existing 

Federal laws and regulations related to the signage of hiking trails along roadways could potentially preclude some 

conflicts, there are other instances in which the signage of 

a hiking trail is not specifically prohibited in law, but the 

Federal land manager may determine that the siting of 

signage in a particular location is inappropriate. 

The Department believes that Federal land managers 

should retain the ability that they have under current law 

to determine the appropriateness of signage on Federal 

lands. For that reason, the Department would not oppose 

the legislation if it is amended to allow individual Federal 

land managers the discretion to make the final determination regarding the location or inclusion of signage on Federal lands, consistent with Federal laws, regulations, and 

policies. We would be happy to provide suggested language 

to the committee. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be 

happy 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, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the bill as ordered reported. 

Æ 

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