I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4944

To designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 22, 2004

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington (for himself, Mr. OTTER, Ms. DUNN, Ms. 

HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. 

BLUMENAUER, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. 

WU, and Mr. BAIRD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Resources 

A BILL

To designate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, 

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 ‘‘Ice Age Floods Na5 tional Geologic Trail Designation Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) At the end of the last Ice Age, some 12,000 

9 to 17,000 years ago, a series of cataclysmic floods 
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1 occurred in what is now the northwest region of the 

2 United States, leaving a lasting mark of dramatic 

3 and distinguishing features on the landscape of 

4 parts of Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. 

5 (2) Geological features that have exceptional 

6 value and quality to illustrate and interpret this ex7 traordinary natural phenomenon are present on 

8 many Federal, State, tribal, county, municipal, and 

9 non-governmental lands in the region. 

10 (3) In 2001, a joint study team headed by the 

11 National Park Service that included about 70 mem12 bers from public and private entities completed a 

13 study endorsing the establishment of an Ice Age 

14 Floods National Geologic Trail to recognize the na15 tional significance of this phenomenon and to coordi16 nate public and private sector entities in the presen17 tation of the story of the Ice Age Floods. 

18 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to des19 ignate the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail in the 

20 States of Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, ena21 bling the public to view, experience, and learn about the 

22 Ice Age Floods’ features and story through the collabo23 rative efforts of public and private entities. 

24 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

25 As used in this Act: 
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1 (1) TRAIL.—The term ‘‘Trail’’ means the Ice 

2 Age Floods National Geologic Trail designated in 

3 section 4. 

4 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

5 the Secretary of the Interior. 

6 (3) FLOODS.—The term ‘‘Ice Age Floods’’ or 

7 ‘‘floods’’ means the cataclysmic floods that occurred 

8 in what is now the northwestern United States dur9 ing the last Ice Age primarily from massive, rapid 

10 and recurring drainage of Glacial Lake Missoula. 

11 SEC. 4. ICE AGE FLOODS NATIONAL GEOLOGIC TRAIL. 

12 (a) DESIGNATION.—In order to provide for public ap13 preciation, understanding, and enjoyment of the nationally 

14 significant natural and cultural features of the Ice Age 

15 Floods, and to promote collaborative efforts for interpreta16 tion and education among public and private entities lo17 cated along the pathways of the floods, there is designated 

18 the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. 

19 (b) LOCATION.—The route of the Trail shall gen20 erally follow public roads and highways from the vicinity 

21 of Missoula in western Montana, across northern Idaho, 

22 through eastern and southern sections of Washington, and 

23 across northern Oregon in the vicinity of the Willamette 

24 Valley and the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean as 

25 generally depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Ice Age Floods 
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1 National Geologic Trail,’’ numberedlllllll, and 

2 datedllllll. 

3 (c) MAPS.—

4 (1) REVISIONS.—The Secretary may revise the 

5 map by publication in the Federal Register of a no6 tice of availability of a new map as part of the Coop7 erative Management and Interpretation Plan for the 

8 Trail required under section 5(f). 

9 (2) AVAILABILITY.—Any map referred to in 

10 paragraph (1) shall be on file and available for pub11 lic inspection in the appropriate offices of the Na12 tional Park Service. 

13 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 

15 Director of the National Park Service, shall administer the 

16 Trail in accordance with this Act. 

17 (b) TRAIL MANAGEMENT OFFICE.—In order for the 

18 National Park Service to manage the Trail and coordinate 

19 Trail activities with other public agencies and private enti20 ties, the Secretary may establish and operate a Trail man21 agement office within the vicinity of the Trail. 

22 (c) INTERAGENCY TECHNICAL COMMITTEE.—The 

23 Secretary shall establish an interagency technical com24 mittee to advise the trail management office in technical 

25 planning for the development of the Cooperative Manage-
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1 ment and Interpretation Plan. The interagency technical 

2 committee—

3 (1) shall include representation from the local, 

4 State, tribal, and Federal governments with interests 

5 in the floods and representation from the Ice Age 

6 Floods Institute; and 

7 (2) may include private property owners, busi8 ness owners, and nonprofit organizations. 

9 (d) TRAIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The Secretary 

10 shall establish and maintain a trail advisory committee 

11 comprised of individuals appointed by public land manage12 ment agencies, local, State, and tribal governments, pri13 vate citizens, and interested nonprofit organizations, in14 cluding the Ice Age Floods Institute. The trail advisory 

15 committee shall assist the Trail manager and staff with 

16 the operation of the Trail. 

17 (e) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Not later than 3 years 

18 after funds are made available for this purpose, the Sec19 retary shall prepare a Cooperative Management and Inter20 pretation Plan for the Trail in consultation with State, 

21 local, and tribal governments, the Ice Age Floods Insti22 tute, private property owners, and other interested parties. 

23 The Cooperative Management and Interpretation Plan 

24 shall—
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1 (1) describe strategies for the coordinated de2 velopment of the Trail, including an interpretive 

3 plan for facilities, waysides, roadside pullouts, exhib4 its, media, and programs that would present the 

5 floods’ story to the public effectively; 

6 (2) identify potential partnering opportunities 

7 in the development of interpretive facilities and edu8 cational programs to educate the public about the 

9 story of the flood; 

10 (3) confirm and, if appropriate, expand upon 

11 the inventory of floods’ features contained in the 

12 National Park Service study entitled ‘‘Ice Age 

13 Floods, Study of Alternatives and Environmental 

14 Assessment’’ (February, 2001) by locating features 

15 more accurately, improving the description of fea16 tures, and reevaluating the features in terms of their 

17 interpretive potential; and 

18 (4) review and, if appropriate, modify the map 

19 of the Trail referred to in section 4(b)(1). 

20 (f) LAND ACQUISITION.—The Secretary may acquire 

21 not more than 25 acres of land for public information and 

22 administrative purposes to facilitate the geographic diver23 sity of the entire trail throughout Montana, Idaho, Wash24 ington and Oregon. Such acquisitions shall be consistent 

25 with the Cooperative Management and Interpretation 
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1 Plan. Of these 25 acres, private land may be acquired 

2 from willing sellers only by exchange, donation, or pur3 chase with donated or appropriated funds. Non-Federal 

4 public lands may be acquired from willing sellers only by 

5 donation or exchange and only after consultation with the 

6 affected local governments. 

7 (g) INTERPRETIVE FACILITIES.—The Secretary may 

8 plan, design, and construct interpretive facilities for sites 

9 associated with the Trail if the facilities are constructed 

10 in partnership with State, local, tribal, or non-profit enti11 ties and are consistent with the Cooperative Management 

12 and Interpretation Plan. 

13 (h) PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.—Nothing in this 

14 Act shall be construed to require any private property 

15 owner to allow public access (including Federal, State or 

16 local government access) to such private property or to 

17 modify any provision of Federal, State or local law with 

18 regard to public access to or use of private lands. 

19 (i) LIABILITY.—Designation of the trail shall not be 

20 considered to create any liability or to have any effect on 

21 any liability under any law of any private property owner 

22 with respect to any persons injured on such private prop23 erty. 

24 (j) COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT.—In order to facili25 tate the development of coordinated interpretation, edu-
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1 cation, resource stewardship, visitor facility development 

2 and operation, and scientific research associated with the 

3 Trail, and to promote more efficient administration of the 

4 sites associated with the Trail, the Secretary may enter 

5 into cooperative management agreements with appropriate 

6 officials in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon in 

7 accordance with the authority provided for units of the 

8 National Park System under section 3(l) of Public Law 

9 91–383 (112 Stat. 3522; 16 U.S.C. 1a-2). For purposes 

10 of this subsection only, the Trail shall be considered a unit 

11 of the National Park System. 

12 (k) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary is 

13 authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with pub14 lic or private entities to further the purposes of this Act. 

15 (l) UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.—The 

16 Secretary shall use the United States Geological Survey 

17 to assist the Interagency Technical Committee and the 

18 National Park Service carry out this Act. 

19 (m) REGULATIONS PROHIBITED.—The Secretary 

20 may not promulgate regulations specifically for manage21 ment of the Trail. 

22 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

23 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

24 as may be necessary to carry out this Act. Not more than 
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1 $500,000 of funds appropriated for this Act may be used 

2 in each fiscal year for administration of the Trail.

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