IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1443 

Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System Act and 

the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 

Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 

Mr. REICHERT, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. WU, and 

Mr. MCDERMOTT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Trails 

System Act and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. 

Whereas 40 years ago, Congress established the National 

Trails System and President Lyndon Johnson signed the 

National Trails System Act on October 2, 1968, providing necessary authorities to study, administer, and 

manage trails in the National Trails System, fostering 

citizen volunteerism to sustain the trails, and authorizing 

the Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails 

as the first two components of the system; 

Whereas the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail 

stretches from Mexico to Canada connecting 3 States, 3 

national monuments, 7 national parks, 25 national forests, and 33 congressionally designated wildernesses; 


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•HRES 1443 IH 

Whereas the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail reveals the 

beauty of the desert, unfolds the glaciated expanses of 

the Sierra Nevada, and provides commanding vistas of 

volcanic peaks and glaciers in the Cascade Range, ascending more than 57 major mountain passes and skirting the shores of countless lakes, tarns, ponds, creeks, 

and rivers; 

Whereas the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail has the 

greatest elevation changes of any of America’s National 

Scenic Trails, passing through 6 out of 7 of North America’s ecozones, including high and low desert, old-growth 

forest, and arctic-alpine country; 

Whereas the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses 

along the crests of major mountain ranges including the 

San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Sierra Nevada, and Cascade mountain ranges; 

Whereas the National Trails System now totals over 60,000 

miles in all 50 States, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, 

and is comprised of 8 National Scenic Trails and 18 National Historic Trails authorized by Congress, more than 

1,000 National Recreation Trails and several connecting 

and side trails designated by the Secretary of the Interior 

or Agriculture, and thousands of miles of ‘‘railbanked’’ 

rail trails; 

Whereas the National Trails System embodies many strands 

of America’s natural, historic, and cultural heritage, provides countless opportunities for healthful recreation 

through the great diversity of landscapes and ecosystems 

that comprise this great American land, and commemorates the rich tapestry of cultures and peoples that comprise our Nation; 


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Whereas congressionally authorized National Scenic and Historic Trails are complex partnerships involving various 

Federal agencies, primarily the National Park Service, 

Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, that administer and manage these trails, while 

the Federal Highway Administration has been an important source of funding for them, the States and tribal 

governments, and dozens of dedicated nonprofit trail organizations; 

Whereas the National Trails System is sustained through citizen-based stewardship with volunteers usually taking the 

lead in nearly all aspects of trail resources including inventory, database construction, planning, development, 

interpretation, preservation, and maintenance of the 

trails; 

Whereas between 1995 and 2007, volunteers organized and 

guided by the nonprofit partner trail organizations contributed more than 7,661,000 hours valued at 

$119,370,000 to help develop and sustain the National 

Scenic and Historic Trails and the natural and cultural 

resources along them, leveraging many times over the 

Federal funding provided for these trails by Congress; 

and 

Whereas the many trails in the National Trails System provide local identity, connections to history and heritage, 

healthy recreation, and economic benefit for thousands of 

communities throughout the Nation: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the United States House of Rep2 resentatives— 


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1 (1) reaffirms support for the National Trails 

2 System and intends to provide funding and nec3 essary authorities to complete the designated Na4 tional Scenic and Historic Trails; 

5 (2) honors the contributions of the thousands of 

6 dedicated volunteers, nonprofit organizations, co7 operating landowners, and Federal agency staff who 

8 work to develop, protect, interpret, and sustain the 

9 trails; and 

10 (3) recognizes the essential collaboration among 

11 Federal agencies and private organizations so nec12 essary to consistently administer and manage the 

13 long-distance National Scenic and Historic Trails 

14 and encourages the agencies to continue to foster 

15 more effective public, private, and interagency col16 laboration. 

Æ 


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