99–010

Calendar No. 580

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " SENATE ! 2d Session 107–263

METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL STUDY 

ACT OF 2001

SEPTEMBER 9, 2002.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. BINGAMAN, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1814] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the Act (H.R. 1814) to amend the National Trails System 

Act to designate the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail extending through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut 

for study for potential addition to the Natural Trails System, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the Act do pass. 

PURPOSE

The purpose of H.R. 1814 is to amend the National Trails System 

Act to study the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and potential trails extending southward approximately 180 miles through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut, for potential addition to the National Trails System 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

H.R. 1814 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the 

feasibility of designating existing and proposed segments of a 250-

mile trail in New England as part of the National Trails System. 

The proposed ‘‘Metacomet-Monadnock-Sunapee-Mattabesett 

Trail’’ would connect existing portions of the Blue-Blazed Hiking 

Trail, and would travel in a north-south direction through western 

New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, and central Connecticut. 

The trail would stretch from a location near Mount Cube in Grafton County, New Hampshire, to Long Island Sound east of New 

Haven, Connecticut. The proposed trail would largely follow existVerDate Sep 04 2002 05:32 Sep 11, 2002 Jkt 099010 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR263.XXX SR263
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ing trails, uniting the Monadnock-Sunapee-Greenway Trail in New 

Hampshire, with the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and the Mattabesett Trail in Connecticut. 

Several additional trail segments would need to be developed to 

complete the various components, the longest being in New Hampshire connecting the Appalachian Trail to the top of Mount 

Sunapee, and in Connecticut linking the Mattabesett Trail to Long 

Island Sound. 

At this time, only 25 percent of the land underlying the proposed 

trail is publicly owned, while the remaining lands are privately 

owned. Current arrangements with landowners allow the trail to 

cross private land. If the trail is designated part of the National 

Trail System, the National Park Service would need to secure new 

agreements to continue public access across these lands. 

The proposed trail would provide hiking and recreational opportunities within a heavily populated region. Secretary Norton designated two sections of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail as a national recreation trail in recognition of the outstanding scenic features, geological formations, and natural and cultural resources located along the trail. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 1814 was introduced by Representative Olver on May 10, 

2001. The House of Representatives passed the bill by a voice vote 

on October 23, 2001. A companion measure, S. 1609, was introduced by Senators Kerry, Kennedy, Lieberman, and Dodd on November 1, 2001. The Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing on H.R. 1814 and S. 1609 on June 20, 2002. At the business 

meeting on July 31, 2002, the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources ordered H.R. 1814 favorably reported.

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on July 31, 2002, by a voice vote of a quorum present, 

recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 1814. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1 designates the bill’s title as ‘‘Metacomet-MonadnockMattabesett Trail Study Act of 2001.’’

Section 2 designates the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett 

Trail for study for potential addition to the National Trails System. 

Section 3 directs the Secretary of the Interior to submit the study 

to Congress not later than 2 years after enactment of the legislation, notwithstanding the 3-year time frame set forth in section 

5(b) of the National Trails System Act. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

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

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U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, August 8, 2002. 

Hon. JEFF BINGAMAN, 

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1814, the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of 2001. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. 

Sincerely, 

BARRY B. ANDERSON

(For Dan L. Crippen, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1814—Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of 

2001

H.R. 1814 would amend the National Trails System Act to add 

a network of trails in the northeastern United States to the list of 

routes to be studied for possible inclusion in the National Trails 

System. The Secretary of the Interior would have two years to conduct a study of the 180-mile Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett 

Trail system in Massachusetts and Connecticut. 

Based on information provided by the National Park Service and 

assuming appropriation of the necessary amount, CBO estimates 

that it would cost the federal government $270,000 over the next 

two years to conduct the required study and report to the Congress 

on its findings. H.R. 1814 would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. The 

legislation 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. 

On September 21, 2001, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for 

H.R. 1814 as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on September 12, 2001. The two versions of the legislation 

are identical, as are the cost estimates. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Deborah Reis. The estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 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 

H.R. 1814. 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 H.R. 1814, as ordered reported. 

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EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The pertinent legislative report received by the Committee from 

the Department of the Interior setting forth Executive agency recommendations relating to H.R. 1814 is set forth below:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, 

Washington, DC, July 25, 2002. 

Hon. JEFF BINGAMAN, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This letter sets forth the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 1609 and H.R. 1814, Metacomet-Monadnock-Matabesett Trail Study Act of 2001. 

The Department supports this study, with a technical amendment noted at the end of this letter. However, we did not request 

additional funding for this study in fiscal year 2003. We believe 

that any funding requested should be directed towards completing 

previously authorized studies. There are 34 studies pending currently, of which we hope to transmit at least four to Congress by 

the end of 2002. To meet the President’s Initiative to eliminate the 

deferred maintenance backlog, we must continue to focus our resources on caring for existing areas in the National Park System. 

We caution that our support of this legislation authorizing a study 

does not necessarily mean that the Department will support designations of these segments as additions to the National Trails System. 

The purpose of both bills is to conduct a study to determine the 

suitability for inclusion in the National Trails System of this 180-

mile extended trail, which could eventually connect the MetacometMonadnock Trail in Western Massachusetts with Long Island 

Sound in Connecticut. The Trail would largely follow existing trails 

linking the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts and 

Connecticut, to the Mattabesett Trail in Connecticut. New trail sections would need to be developed in Connecticut linking the 

Mattabesett Trail to Long Island Sound. Other shorter gaps would 

also be filed. The great majority of this trail is located on private 

land. Outside of sections of trail on state lands, the trail currently 

is permitted to cross private land through a variety of agreements 

with the landowners. As part of this study, these agreements 

should be examined to ensure that the National Park Service 

works cooperatively with private landowners in an effort to continue public access across these private lands if the trail is designated. 

Although the region was heavily traveled by Native Americans, 

for whom the trails have been named, it is not an historic route. 

Each section was conceived and built by local trail enthusiasts and 

much of the work was initiated in the late 1950’s. The Connecticut 

Forest and Park Association has been the primary steward of the 

Mattabesett Trail and the Connecticut portion of the Metacomet 

Trail. The Appalachian Mountain Club, through its Berkshire 

Chapter, has picked up the responsibility for the Metacomet- Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts. Organized volunteers provide the 

management and maintenance for each trail segment. If the trail 

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was designated as part of the National Trails System, then existing 

trail clubs would be given the opportunity to assume a leadership 

role in working with landowners and communities to address any 

concerns they may have. 

The existing sections of this proposed trail have similar scenic 

and recreational characteristics to the segments of the Appalachian 

National Scenic Trail in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The trails 

provide for a rare opportunity for multi-day, overnight hiking trips 

in highly populated Connecticut and Massachusetts. In Connecticut 

and Massachusetts, the state governments and well-established 

trails organizations have made substantial commitments to the existing trail sections. Our experience with other national scenic and 

historic trails shows that trail clubs can and should assume a leadership role in working with landowners and communities, addressing their concerns to make their trails successful. The opportunity 

for good partnering exists in both states and is worthy of further 

exploration. 

In June 2001, Secretary Gale Norton designated two sections of 

the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail as a national recreation trail, recognizing the outstanding scenic features, geological formations, and 

natural and cultural resources along the route. There are well over 

800 national recreation trails in the National Trails System. The 

designation as a national trail proposed in S. 1609 and H.R. 1814 

would, if successful, provide more extensive Federal involvement, 

through the authorities of the National Trails System Act for this 

chain of trails. 

The National Park Service supports this proposed study, as the 

existing trail segments possess many of the characteristics required 

of a national scenic trail. Only through further investigation will it 

be possible to determine if it is feasible and suitable for inclusion 

in the National Trails System. Furthermore, in order to better plan 

for the future of our national parks, we believe that any such studies should carefully examine the full life cycle operation and maintenance costs that would result from each alternative considered. 

If this legislation is enacted and funds are available, the National Park Service would launch a study of the existing and proposed trails segments to evaluate the support for the trail, the impacts of federal involvement on the communities and private property it passes through, and the resources that would be opened for 

public use. The study would take approximately three years to 

complete and would, at a minimum, follow the requirements listed 

in section 5(b) of the National Trails System Act. Through this 

process, the National Park Service looks forward to working with 

and hearing the valuable input of the hundreds of communities 

that these trails cross in Massachusetts and Connecticut. 

The long title of S. 1609 refers to conducting a study on the feasibility of designating the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail 

as a national historic trail. We would like to clarify that this trail 

has the potential to be a national scenic trail, instead of a national 

historic trail, and recommend amending the long title accordingly. 

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The Office of Management and Budget advises that there is no 

objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of 

the Administration’s program. 

Sincerely, 

CRAIG MANSON, 

Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.

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 the Act H.R. 

1814, as ordered 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): 

A. NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT 

(Public Law 90–543; Approved October 2, 1968) 

AN ACT To establish a national trails system, and for other purposes 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SHORT TITLE

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Trails System 

Act’’. 

* * * * * * *

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: 

* * * * * * *

(c) The following routes shall be studied in accordance with the 

objectives outlined in subsection (b) of this section: 

* * * * * * *

(39) * * *

(lll ) METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL.—The 

Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail, a system of trails and potential trails extending southward approximately 180 miles through 

western Massachusetts on the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, across 

central Connecticut on the Metacomet Trail and the Mattabesett 

Trail, and ending at Long Island Sound. 

* * * * * * *

Æ