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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 923 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  1st Session
                                 S. 923

 To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the New England 
             National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 20, 2007

   Mr. Kerry introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the New England 
             National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``New England National Scenic Trail 
Designation Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.

    Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(__) New england national scenic trail.--The New England 
        National Scenic Trail, a continuous trail extending 
        approximately 220 miles from the border of New Hampshire in the 
        town of Royalston, Massachusetts to Long Island Sound in the 
        town of Guilford, Connecticut, as generally depicted on the 
        maps associated with the preferred alternative contained in the 
        draft report titled the `Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail 
        System National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study and 
        Environmental Assessment', prepared by the National Park 
        Service, and dated Spring 2006. The report shall be on file and 
        available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
        the National Park Service. The Secretary of the Interior, in 
        cooperation with Federal, State, tribal, regional, and local 
        agencies, the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Connecticut Forest 
        and Park Association, and other organizations, shall administer 
        the trail consistent with the recommendations of the draft 
        report. The United States shall not acquire for the trail any 
        land or interest in land without the consent of the owner.''

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

    The Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this Act referred to as 
the ``Secretary'') shall use the Trail Management Blueprint described 
in the draft report titled the ``Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail 
System National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study and Environmental 
Assessment'', prepared by the National Park Service, and dated Spring 
2006, as the framework for management and administration of the New 
England National Scenic Trail. Additional or more detailed plans for 
administration, management, protection, access, maintenance, or 
development of the trail may be developed consistent with the Trail 
Management Blueprint, and as approved by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.

    The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements 
with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (and its political 
subdivisions), the State of Connecticut (and its political 
subdivisions), the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Connecticut Forest 
and Park Association, and other regional, local, and private 
organizations deemed necessary and desirable to accomplish cooperative 
trail administrative, management, and protection objectives consistent 
with the Trail Management Blueprint. An agreement under this section 
may include provisions for limited financial assistance to encourage 
participation in the planning, acquisition, protection, operation, 
development, or maintenance of the trail.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL TRAIL SEGMENTS.

    Pursuant to section 6 of the National Trails System Act, the 
Secretary is encouraged to work with the State of New Hampshire and 
appropriate local and private organizations to include that portion of 
the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in New Hampshire (which lies between 
Royalston, Massachusetts and Jaffrey, New Hampshire) as a component of 
the New England National Scenic Trail. Inclusion of this segment, as 
well as other potential side or connecting trails, is contingent upon 
written application to the Secretary by appropriate State and local 
jurisdictions and a finding by the Secretary that trail management and 
administration is consistent with the Trail Management Blueprint.
                                 <all>
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