prove trail maintenance by addressing opportunities to use 
fire crews in trail maintenance activities in a manner that 
does not jeopardize firefighting capabilities, public safety, 
or resource protection. Upon a determination that trail 
maintenance would be advanced by use of fire crews in 
trail maintenance, the Secretary shall incorporate these 
proposals into the strategy, subject to such terms and con-
ditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary. 
(d) VOLUNTEER LIABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 3(d) of the Volun-
teers in the National Forests Act of 1972 (16 
U.S.C. 558c(d)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, including 
a volunteer affiliated with a partner organization,’’ 
after ‘‘this Act’’. 
(2) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENT.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall adopt regulations imple-
menting this section. These regulations shall ensure 
that the financial risk from claims or liability associ-
ated with volunteers undertaking trail maintenance 
is shared by all administrative units. 
(e) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall develop the 
strategy in consultation with volunteer and partner trail 
maintenance organizations, a broad array of outdoor 
recreation stakeholders, and other relevant stakeholders. 
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(f) VOLUNTEER
AND
PARTNERSHIP
COORDINA-
TION.—The Secretary shall require each administrative 
unit to develop a volunteer and partner coordination im-
plementation plan for the strategy which clearly defines 
roles and responsibilities for the administrative unit and 
district staff, and includes strategies to ensure sufficient 
coordination, assistance, and support for volunteers and 
partners to improve trail maintenance. 
(g) REPORT.— 
(1) CONTENTS.—The Secretary shall prepare a 
report on— 
(A) the effectiveness of the strategy in ad-
dressing the trail maintenance backlog; 
(B) the increase in volunteerism and part-
nership efforts on trail maintenance as a result 
of the strategy; 
(C) the miles of National Forest System 
trails maintained by volunteers and partners, 
and the approximate value of the volunteer and 
partnership efforts; 
(D) the status of the stewardship credits 
for outfitters and guides pilot program de-
scribed in section 7 that includes the number of 
participating sites, total amount of the credits 
offered, estimated value of trail maintenance 
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performed, and suggestions for revising the pro-
gram; and 
(E) recommendations for further increas-
ing volunteerism and partnerships in trail main-
tenance. 
(2) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit the report required by paragraph (1) 
to— 
(A) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry and the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Agriculture and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
of Representatives. 
SEC. 5. PRIORITY TRAIL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) SELECTION.—In accordance with subsections (b) 
and (c), not later than 6 months after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall se-
lect no fewer than 9 and no more than 15 priority areas 
for increased trail maintenance accomplishments. 
(b) CRITERIA.—Priority areas shall include a well-de-
fined region on National Forest System land where the 
lack of trail maintenance has— 
(1) reduced access to public land; 
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(2) led to an increase, or risk of increase, in 
harm to natural resources; 
(3) jeopardized public safety; 
(4) resulted in trails being impassible by the in-
tended managed users; or 
(5) increased future deferred trail maintenance 
costs. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS.—In selecting priority areas, the 
Secretary shall— 
(1) consider any public input on priority areas 
received within 3 months of the date of enactment 
of this Act; 
(2) consider the range of trail users (including 
motorized and non-motorized trail users); and 
(3) include at least one priority area in each re-
gion of the United States Forest Service. 
(d) INCREASED TRAIL MAINTENANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Within 6 months of the se-
lection of priority areas under subsection (a), and in 
accordance with paragraph (2), the Secretary shall 
develop an approach to substantially increase trail 
maintenance accomplishments within each priority 
area. 
(2) CONTENTS.—In developing the approach 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
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(A) consider any public input on trail 
maintenance priorities and needs within any 
priority area; 
(B) consider the costs and benefits of in-
creased trail maintenance within each priority 
area; and 
(C) incorporate partners and volunteers in 
the trail maintenance. 
(3) REQUIRED TRAIL MAINTENANCE.—Utilizing 
the approach developed under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall substantially increase trail mainte-
nance within each priority area. 
(e) COORDINATION.—The regional volunteer and 
partnership coordinators may be responsible for assisting 
partner organizations in developing and implementing vol-
unteer and partnership projects to increase trail mainte-
nance within priority areas. 
(f) REVISION.—The Secretary shall periodically re-
view the priority areas to determine whether revisions are 
necessary and may revise the priority areas, including the 
selection of new priority areas or removal of existing pri-
ority areas, at his sole discretion. 
SEC. 6. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter into a 
cooperative agreement (within the meaning of chapter 63 
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