(C) the name of the owner of each identi-
fied parcel of land; 
(D) a description of the benefit to the cov-
ered trail in the preservation of scenic, rec-
reational, historical, natural, or cultural values 
for which the covered trail was designated; and 
(E) the name of any nongovernmental 
partner committed to advancing the protection 
of parcels of land identified on the proposed 
priority list for inclusion in the covered trail. 
(4) INPUT; CRITERIA.—In developing a pro-
posed priority list, a Designated Operational Partner 
shall— 
(A) solicit input from a variety of govern-
mental, nongovernmental, Federal, and State 
partners, the scope of which shall be limited to 
a landscape or physiographic region agreed to 
by the Designated Operational Partner and the 
Secretary concerned; and 
(B) establish criteria to prioritize land and 
resource protection recommendations included 
on the proposed priority list. 
(5) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In using Federal funds 
to protect land for a covered trail— 
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(i) the Secretary concerned shall 
prioritize the use of funds for land identi-
fied for Federal protection in the applica-
ble proposed priority list, except to the ex-
tent that the Secretary concerned deter-
mines, based on considerations set forth in 
the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
1241 et seq.) and the comprehensive plan 
for the covered trail, and subject to sub-
paragraph (B), that— 
(I) a parcel of land included on 
the proposed priority list should not 
be prioritized; or 
(II) a parcel of land not included 
on the proposed priority list should be 
prioritized instead of a parcel of land 
included on the proposed priority list; 
and 
(ii) a State shall incorporate land 
identified for State protection in the appli-
cable land and resource conservation plan 
of the State, as appropriate, in accordance 
with State law. 
(B) NOTICE.—If the Secretary concerned 
determines under subparagraph (A)(i) that a 
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parcel of land included on the proposed priority 
list should not be prioritized or that a parcel of 
land not included on the proposed priority list 
should be prioritized instead of a parcel of land 
included on the proposed priority list, the Sec-
retary concerned shall submit to the Designated 
Operational Partner notice of the determina-
tion, including a detailed explanation of the rea-
son for the determination. 
(6) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than once 
every 5 years, the Secretaries concerned shall submit 
to Congress a report that describes any progress or 
lack of progress of the Secretaries concerned with 
respect to advancing land and resource conservation 
objectives under proposed priority lists. 
(7) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to each of 
the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture such 
sums as are necessary to carry out planning activi-
ties relating to the development or updating of pro-
posed priority lists under this subsection. 
(g) OTHER AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary concerned 
may enter into agreements with 1 or more entities that 
are not Designated Operational Partners, in accordance 
with the applicable procedures of the Department of the 
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Interior or the Department of Agriculture, as applicable, 
and consistent with the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1241 et seq.)— 
(1) to provide services with respect to a covered 
trail that are not provided by the Designated Oper-
ational Partner; or 
(2) to advance partnerships for a covered trail 
to strengthen volunteer engagement and cooperative 
management, consistent with the comprehensive plan 
for the applicable covered trail. 
(h) EXEMPTION FROM FACA.—Chapter 10 of title 
5, United States Code, shall not apply to a Designated 
Operational Partner or any committee established before, 
on, or after the date of enactment of this Act for purposes 
of a cooperative management system. 
(i) COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsections 
(e) and (f) of section 5 of the National Trails Sys-
tem Act (16 U.S.C. 1244), a Designated Operational 
Partner may accept or reject— 
(A) a proposed comprehensive plan for the 
applicable covered trail; and 
(B) any amendments or revisions to the 
comprehensive plan for the applicable covered 
trail. 
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(2) REGULATIONS.—In accordance with section 
7(i) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
1246(i)), the Secretary and the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall jointly promulgate regulations estab-
lishing procedures for resolving disputes with respect 
to the rejection of a comprehensive plan under para-
graph (1). 
(3) REPORT.—If a comprehensive plan rejected 
by a Designated Operational Partner under para-
graph (1) is subsequently submitted to Congress, the 
Secretary concerned shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report that describes the 
basis for the submission of the rejected comprehen-
sive plan by the Secretary concerned. 
SEC. 5. IMPROVING COVERED TRAIL PLANNING AND DE-
VELOPMENT. 
(a) VISITATION ASSESSMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and 
the Secretary of Agriculture shall identify 1 or more 
methods to assess visitation on covered trails. 
(2) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—For purposes 
of identifying methods under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall consult 
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with a variety of land managers and cooperative 
management partners for covered trails, including— 
(A) in the Department of Agriculture, the 
Chief of the Forest Service and the Under Sec-
retary for Rural Development; 
(B) in the Department of the Interior, rep-
resentatives from the National Park Service, 
the Bureau of Land Management, and the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service; 
(C) representatives from State agencies 
participating in cooperative management sys-
tems; 
(D) representatives from gateway commu-
nities and tourism boards that support covered 
trails, such as through agency and nongovern-
mental partnerships; 
(E) representatives from the Federal High-
way Administration; 
(F) representatives from the Interagency 
Council on the National Trails System; 
(G) Designated Operational Partners; and 
(H) other nongovernmental cooperative 
management partners for covered trails. 
(3) REPORT.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date on which methods are identified 
under paragraph (1), and not less frequently 
than once every 5 years thereafter, the Sec-
retary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
make available to cooperative management 
partners of the applicable covered trail and the 
public a report describing the estimated visita-
tion at each covered trail for the period covered 
by the report. 
(B) CARRYING CAPACITY.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The carrying ca-
pacity of a covered trail that is subject to 
subsection (e) or (f) of section 5 of the Na-
tional Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244) 
shall be considered to be the desired use 
conditions of the applicable covered trail, 
as determined in accordance with applica-
ble guidelines established by the Inter-
agency Council on Visitor Use Manage-
ment. 
(ii) REPORT.—The carrying capacity 
for a covered trail not described in clause 
(i) shall be determined using the visitation 
numbers for the applicable covered trail 
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identified by the Secretary or the Secretary 
of Agriculture in the initial report under 
subparagraph (A). 
(4) MONITORING.—The Secretary and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Des-
ignated Operational Partner for a covered trail, if 
applicable, shall, on an ongoing basis, monitor— 
(A) the number of visitors to, and the 
character of visitor use of, each covered trail, 
using the 1 or more methods identified under 
paragraph (1); and 
(B) the effectiveness of management ac-
tions in achieving and maintaining desired con-
ditions for the covered trail. 
(b) ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and not less fre-
quently than once every 5 years thereafter, the Sec-
retary and the Secretary of Agriculture shall identify 
1 or more methods to assess the economic impact of 
covered trails on gateway communities. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In identifying methods 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall, to the maximum extent 
practicable— 
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(A) aggregate and extrapolate economic 
impact information from existing data, such as 
data from land units on which covered trails are 
located; 
(B) use State and county economic impact 
information; 
(C) partner with State and local govern-
ments; and 
(D) leverage the cooperative management 
systems of the covered trails and local and land-
scape-wide partnerships to obtain and process 
relevant information and report any relevant 
findings. 
(c) ADVANCING COVERED TRAIL PLANNING.— 
(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(A) the designation of a covered trail is the 
onset of the long-term development and plan-
ning for the covered trail, rather than the con-
clusion of those activities; and 
(B) the cultivation of partnerships, the ac-
quisition of land, including interests in land and 
land use agreements, the conduct of accessible 
and inclusive interpretation, and the develop-
ment of recreational facilities, as appropriate 
for covered trails, are needed to advance the 
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purposes of the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1241 et seq.) to meet the ever-expand-
ing outdoor recreation needs of the United 
States. 
(2) REPORTS.—The Secretary and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, acting jointly, shall submit to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources 
of the House of Representatives— 
(A) not later than 3 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, a report that describes 
the successes and challenges in developing and 
planning covered trails; and 
(B) not later than 5 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, a report that assesses 
the desired conditions and use of facilities on 
each covered trail with respect to— 
(i) visitor usage of specific segments 
or sites of the covered trail, including the 
extent to which visitors use the covered 
trail in groups of not fewer than 10 indi-
viduals; 
(ii) proposed priority segments or 
sites for additional facilities or protection 
of additional land or resources identified 
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by relevant cooperative management part-
ners, which shall be considered to be in-
cluded on a proposed priority list for the 
covered trail if the covered trail has an 
identified Designated Operational Partner; 
and 
(iii) any activities that the Secretary 
and the Secretary of Agriculture determine 
are necessary to advance the development 
of and planning for the covered trail con-
sistent with the model used for the Appa-
lachian National Scenic Trail. 
(3) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.—In preparing 
the reports under paragraph (2), the Secretary and 
the Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with— 
(A) communities located in the vicinity of 
the proposed segments and sites described in 
paragraph (2)(B)(ii); 
(B) federally recognized Indian Tribes; 
(C) any Federal and State agencies that 
manage land traversed by covered trails; and 
(D) Designated Operational Partners and 
other cooperative management partners of cov-
ered trails. 
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(d) EXEMPTION FROM FACA.—Chapter 10 of title 
5, United States Code, shall not apply to any committee 
established before, on, or after the date of enactment of 
this Act to carry out activities under this section. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary and 
the Secretary of Agriculture for each of fiscal years 2025 
through 2030— 
(1) such sums as are necessary— 
(A) to identify the methods under sub-
sections (a) and (b); and 
(B) to prepare the reports required under 
subsection (c); and 
(2) such sums as are necessary for the acquisi-
tion, construction, and development of facilities (in-
cluding the acquisition of land or interests in land) 
for covered trails. 
Æ 
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