not preclude such activities or uses on such lands adjacent 
to the trail to the extent consistent with other applicable 
law. Nothing in this section may be construed to impose, 
or permit the imposition of, any limitations on the use of 
any non-Federal lands without the consent of the owner 
of the lands. 
‘‘(d) PREVENTION
OF
TRESPASS
OF
PRIVATE 
LANDS.—The appropriate Secretary shall initiate con-
sultations with affected States and their political subdivi-
sions to develop and implement appropriate measures to 
protect nonpublic landowners from trespass resulting from 
visitor use of a national discovery trail and from unreason-
able personal liability and property damage caused by trail 
use. After such consultation, the appropriate Secretary 
may provide assistance to such States and their political 
subdivisions under appropriate cooperative agreements in 
the manner provided by this subsection. 
‘‘(e) RELATION
TO RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—Neither the 
designation of a national discovery trail nor any plan re-
lated thereto shall affect, or be considered, in the granting 
or denial of a right-of-way or any conditions relating 
thereto. 
‘‘(f) COOPERATIVE ADMINISTRATION.—The appro-
priate Secretary for each national discovery trail shall ad-
minister the trail in cooperation with a competent 
trailwide volunteer-based organization. 
‘‘(g) RELATION TO OTHER TRAILS.—Where national 
discovery trails are congruent with other local, State, na-
tional scenic, or national historic trails, the designation 
of the national discovery trail shall not in any way dimin-
ish the values and significance for which these trails were 
established.’’. 
(c) CONDITIONS
ON
CONDUCT
OF
FEASIBILITY 
STUDIES.—Section 5(b) of the National Trails System Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1244(b)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(10) as subparagraphs (A) through (J), respectively; 
(2) by striking ‘‘the’’ at the beginning of each 
of subparagraphs (A) through (J), as so redesig-
nated, and inserting ‘‘The’’; 
(3) by striking the semicolon at the end of each 
of subparagraphs (A) through (I), as so redesig-
nated, and inserting a period; 
(4) in subparagraph (J), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a period; 
(5) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(b)’’ at the begin-
ning of the subsection;
(6) by redesignating paragraph (11) as para-
graph (2) and conforming the margins to paragraph 
(1); and 
(7) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3)(A) For purposes of this subsection, a trail shall 
not be considered feasible and desirable for designation 
as a national discovery trail unless it meets all of the fol-
lowing criteria: 
‘‘(i) The trail must link to one or more areas 
within the boundaries of a metropolitan area (as 
those boundaries are determined under section 
134(c) of title 23, United States Code), and the trail 
should also join with other trails, thereby tying the 
National Trails System to significant recreation and 
resources areas. 
‘‘(ii) The trail must be supported by at least 
one competent trailwide volunteer-based organiza-
tion, and must have extensive local and trailwide 
support by the public, by user groups, and by af-
fected State and local governments. 
‘‘(iii) The trail must be extended and pass 
through more than one State. At a minimum, it 
should be a continuous, walkable route.
‘‘(B) National discovery trails are specifically exempt-
ed from the provisions of sections 7(g) of this Act. 
‘‘(C) The appropriate Secretary shall obtain written 
consent from affected landowners prior to entering non-
public lands for the purposes of conducting any surveys 
or studies of nonpublic lands relating to designating or 
administering national discovery trails.’’. 
(d) COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL DISCOVERY TRAIL 
PLAN.—Section 5 of the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1244) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(g) COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL DISCOVERY TRAIL 
PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION.—Within 
three complete fiscal years after the date of enact-
ment of legislation designating a national discovery 
trail, the responsible Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Resources of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a comprehensive plan for 
the protection, management, development, and use 
of the Federal portions of the trail and for the provi-
sion of technical assistance to States and local units 
of government and private landowners, as requested, 
for non-Federal portions of the trail.
‘‘(2) COOPERATION
AND
CONSULTATION.—In 
developing a comprehensive management plan for a 
national discovery trail, the responsible Secretary 
shall cooperate to the fullest practicable extent with 
the organizations sponsoring the trail. The respon-
sible Secretary shall ensure that the comprehensive 
plan does not conflict with existing agency direction 
and shall consult with the affected land managing 
agencies, the Governors of the affected States, af-
fected county and local political jurisdictions, and 
local organizations maintaining components of the 
trail. 
‘‘(3) SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF PLAN.—Com-
ponents of the comprehensive management plan for 
a national discovery trail shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) Policies, objectives, and practices to 
be observed in the administration and manage-
ment of the trail, including the identification of 
all significant natural, historical, and cultural 
resources to be preserved, model agreements 
necessary for joint trail administration among 
and between interested parties, and an identi-
fied carrying capacity for critical segments of 
the trail, and procedures for implementation, 
where appropriate.