I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4886 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to publish in the Federal Register 

a strategy to significantly increase the role of volunteers and partners 

in National Forest System trail maintenance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2014 

Mrs. LUMMIS (for herself and Mr. WALZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the 

Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to publish in the 

Federal Register a strategy to significantly increase the 

role of volunteers and partners in National Forest System trail maintenance, and for other purposes. 

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 Forest Sys5 tem Trails Stewardship Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) The National Forest System features a 

2 world-class trail system with over 158,000 miles of 

3 trails that provide world-class opportunities for hik4 ing, horseback riding, hunting, mountain bicycling, 

5 motorized vehicles, and other outdoor activities. 

6 (2) According to the Government Accountability 

7 Office, the Forest Service is only able to maintain 

8 about one-quarter of National Forest System trails 

9 to the agency standard, and the agency faces a trail 

10 maintenance backlog of $314,000,000, and an addi11 tional backlog of $210,000,000 in annual mainte12 nance, capital improvements, and operations. 

13 (3) The lack of maintenance on National Forest 

14 System trails threatens access to public lands, and 

15 may cause increased environmental damage, threat16 en public safety, and increase future maintenance 

17 costs. 

18 (4) Federal budget limitations require solutions 

19 to National Forest System trail maintenance issues 

20 that make more efficient use of existing resources. 

21 (5) Volunteers, partners, and outfitters and 

22 guides play an important role in maintaining Na23 tional Forest System trails, and a comprehensive 

24 strategy is needed to ensure that volunteers and 

25 partners are used as effectively as possible. 


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1 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT.—The term ‘‘Ad4 ministrative Unit’’ means a national forest or na5 tional grassland. 

6 (2) OUTFITTER OR GUIDE.—The term ‘‘out7 fitter or guide’’ means an individual, organization, 

8 or business who provides outfitting or guiding serv9 ices, as defined in section 251.51 of title 36, Code 

10 of Federal Regulations. 

11 (3) PARTNER.—The term ‘‘partner’’ means a 

12 non-Federal entity that engages in a partnership. 

13 (4) PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘‘partnership’’ 

14 means arrangements between the Department of Ag15 riculture or the Forest Service and a non-Federal 

16 entity that are voluntary, mutually beneficial, and 

17 entered into for the purpose of mutually agreed 

18 upon objectives. 

19 (5) PRIORITY AREA.—The term ‘‘priority area’’ 

20 means a well-defined region on National Forest Sys21 tem land selected by the Secretary under section 

22 5(a). 

23 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

24 the Secretary of Agriculture. 


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1 (7) STRATEGY.—The term ‘‘strategy’’ means 

2 the National Forest System Trails Volunteer and 

3 Partnership Strategy authorized by section 4(a). 

4 (8) TRAIL MAINTENANCE.—The term ‘‘trail 

5 maintenance’’ means any activity to maintain the 

6 usability and sustainability of trails within the Na7 tional Forest System, including— 

8 (A) ensuring trails are passable by the 

9 users for which they are managed; 

10 (B) preventing environmental damage re11 sulting from trail deterioration; 

12 (C) protecting public safety; and 

13 (D) averting future deferred maintenance 

14 costs. 

15 (9) VOLUNTEER.—The term ‘‘Volunteer’’ has 

16 the same meaning given that term in section 

17 553.101 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations. 

18 SEC. 4. NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM TRAILS VOLUNTEER 

19 AND PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

21 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall pub22 lish in the Federal Register a strategy to significantly in23 crease the role of volunteers and partners in trail mainte24 nance. 


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1 (b) REQUIRED ELEMENTS.—The strategy required 

2 by subsection (a) shall— 

3 (1) augment and support the capabilities of 

4 Federal employees to carry out or contribute to trail 

5 maintenance; 

6 (2) provide meaningful opportunities for volun7 teers and partners to carry out trail maintenance in 

8 each region of the Forest Service; 

9 (3) address the barriers to increased vol10 unteerism and partnerships in trail maintenance 

11 identified by volunteers, partners, and others; 

12 (4) prioritize increased volunteerism and part13 nerships in trail maintenance in those regions with 

14 the most severe trail maintenance needs, and where 

15 trail maintenance backlogs are jeopardizing access to 

16 National Forest lands; and 

17 (5) aim to increase trail maintenance by volun18 teers and partners by 100 percent by the date that 

19 is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this 

20 Act. 

21 (c) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—As a component of 

22 the strategy, the Secretary shall study opportunities to im23 prove trail maintenance by addressing opportunities to use 

24 fire crews in trail maintenance activities in a manner that 

25 does not jeopardize firefighting capabilities, public safety, 


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1 or resource protection. Upon a determination that trail 

2 maintenance would be advanced by use of fire crews in 

3 trail maintenance, the Secretary shall incorporate these 

4 proposals into the strategy, subject to such terms and con5 ditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary. 

6 (d) VOLUNTEER LIABILITY.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3(d) of Public Law 

8 92–300 (16 U.S.C. 558a (note), 558a-558d; 86 

9 Stat. 147) is amended by adding ‘‘, including a vol10 unteer affiliated with a partner organization,’’ after 

11 ‘‘title’’. 

12 (2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—Not later 

13 than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 

14 Act, the Secretary shall adopt regulations imple15 menting this section. These regulations shall ensure 

16 that the financial risk from claims or liability associ17 ated with volunteers undertaking trail maintenance 

18 is shared by all administrative units. 

19 (e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall develop the 

20 strategy in consultation with volunteer and partner trail 

21 maintenance organizations, a broad array of outdoor 

22 recreation stakeholders, and other relevant stakeholders. 

23 (f) VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERSHIP COORDINA24 TION.—The Secretary shall require each administrative 

25 unit to develop a volunteer and partner coordination imVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:02 Jun 21, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4886.IH H4886

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1 plementation plan for the strategy which clearly defines 

2 roles and responsibilities for the administrative unit and 

3 district staff, and includes strategies to ensure sufficient 

4 coordination, assistance, and support for volunteers and 

5 partners to improve trail maintenance. 

6 (g) REPORT.— 

7 (1) CONTENTS.—The Secretary shall prepare a 

8 report on— 

9 (A) the effectiveness of the strategy in ad10 dressing the trail maintenance backlog; 

11 (B) the increase in volunteerism and part12 nership efforts on trail maintenance as a result 

13 of the strategy; 

14 (C) the miles of National Forest System 

15 trails maintained by volunteers and partners, 

16 and the approximate value of the volunteer and 

17 partnership efforts; 

18 (D) the status of the stewardship credits 

19 for outfitters and guides pilot program de20 scribed in section 7 that includes the number of 

21 participating sites, total amount of the credits 

22 offered, estimated value of trail maintenance 

23 performed, and suggestions for revising the pro24 gram; and 


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1 (E) recommendations for further increas2 ing volunteerism and partnerships in trail main3 tenance. 

4 (2) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 3 years after 

5 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

6 shall submit the report required by paragraph (1) 

7 to— 

8 (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 

9 Resources of the Senate; and 

10 (B) the Committee on Natural Resources 

11 of the House of Representatives. 

12 SEC. 5. PRIORITY TRAIL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. 

13 (a) SELECTION.—In accordance with subsections (b) 

14 and (c), not later than 6 months after the date of the en15 actment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall se16 lect no fewer than 9 and no more than 15 priority areas 

17 for increased trail maintenance accomplishments. 

18 (b) CRITERIA.—Priority areas shall include a well-de19 fined region on National Forest System land where the 

20 lack of trail maintenance has— 

21 (1) reduced access to public land; 

22 (2) led to an increase, or risk of increase, in 

23 harm to natural resources; 

24 (3) jeopardized public safety; 


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1 (4) resulted in trails being impassible by the in2 tended managed users; or 

3 (5) increased future deferred trail maintenance 

4 costs. 

5 (c) REQUIREMENTS.—In selecting priority areas, the 

6 Secretary shall— 

7 (1) consider any public input on priority areas 

8 received within 3 months of the date of enactment 

9 of this Act; and 

10 (2) select at least one priority area in each re11 gion of the United States Forest Service. 

12 (d) INCREASED TRAIL MAINTENANCE.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Within 6 months of the se14 lection of priority areas under subsection (a), and in 

15 accordance with paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 

16 develop an approach to substantially increase trail 

17 maintenance accomplishments within each priority 

18 area. 

19 (2) CONTENTS.—In developing the approach 

20 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 

21 (A) consider any public input on trail 

22 maintenance priorities and needs within any 

23 priority area; 


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1 (B) consider the costs and benefits of in2 creased trail maintenance within each priority 

3 area; and 

4 (C) incorporate partners and volunteers in 

5 the trail maintenance. 

6 (3) REQUIRED TRAIL MAINTENANCE.—Utilizing 

7 the approach developed under paragraph (1), the 

8 Secretary shall substantially increase trail mainte9 nance within each priority area. 

10 (e) COORDINATION.—The regional volunteer and 

11 partnership coordinators may be responsible for assisting 

12 partner organizations in developing and implementing vol13 unteer and partnership projects to increase trail mainte14 nance within priority areas. 

15 (f) REVISION.—The Secretary shall periodically re16 view the priority areas to determine whether revisions are 

17 necessary and may revise the priority areas, including the 

18 selection of new priority areas or removal of existing pri19 ority areas, at his sole discretion. 

20 SEC. 6. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter into a 

22 cooperative agreement (within the meaning of chapter 63 

23 of title 31, United States Code) with any State, tribal, 

24 local governmental, and private entity to carry out this 

25 Act. 


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1 (b) CONTENTS.—Cooperative agreements authorized 

2 under this section may— 

3 (1) improve trail maintenance in a priority 

4 area; 

5 (2) implement the strategy; or 

6 (3) advance trail maintenance in a manner 

7 deemed appropriate by the Secretary. 

8 SEC. 7. STEWARDSHIP CREDITS FOR OUTFITTERS AND 

9 GUIDES. 

10 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Within 1 year after the date 

11 of enactment of this Act, in accordance with this section, 

12 the Secretary shall establish a pilot program on not less 

13 than 20 administrative units to offset all or part of the 

14 land use fee for an outfitting and guiding permit by the 

15 cost of the work performed by the permit holder to con16 struct, improve, or maintain National Forest System 

17 trails, trailheads, or developed sites that support public 

18 use under terms established by the Secretary. 

19 (b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In establishing 

20 the pilot program authorized by subsection (a), the Sec21 retary shall— 

22 (1) select administrative units where the pilot 

23 program will improve trail maintenance; and 

24 (2) establish appropriate terms and conditions. 

Æ 


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