IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1443 
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System Act and 
the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 
Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 
Mr. REICHERT, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. WU, and 
Mr. MCDERMOTT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Trails 
System Act and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. 
Whereas 40 years ago, Congress established the National 
Trails System and President Lyndon Johnson signed the 
National Trails System Act on October 2, 1968, pro-
viding necessary authorities to study, administer, and 
manage trails in the National Trails System, fostering 
citizen volunteerism to sustain the trails, and authorizing 
the Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails 
as the first two components of the system; 
Whereas the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail 
stretches from Mexico to Canada connecting 3 States, 3 
national monuments, 7 national parks, 25 national for-
ests, and 33 congressionally designated wildernesses; 
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•HRES 1443 IH 
Whereas the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail reveals the 
beauty of the desert, unfolds the glaciated expanses of 
the Sierra Nevada, and provides commanding vistas of 
volcanic peaks and glaciers in the Cascade Range, as-
cending more than 57 major mountain passes and skirt-
ing the shores of countless lakes, tarns, ponds, creeks, 
and rivers; 
Whereas the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail has the 
greatest elevation changes of any of America’s National 
Scenic Trails, passing through 6 out of 7 of North Amer-
ica’s ecozones, including high and low desert, old-growth 
forest, and arctic-alpine country; 
Whereas the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses 
along the crests of major mountain ranges including the 
San Bernardino, San Gabriel, Sierra Nevada, and Cas-
cade mountain ranges; 
Whereas the National Trails System now totals over 60,000 
miles in all 50 States, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, 
and is comprised of 8 National Scenic Trails and 18 Na-
tional Historic Trails authorized by Congress, more than 
1,000 National Recreation Trails and several connecting 
and side trails designated by the Secretary of the Interior 
or Agriculture, and thousands of miles of ‘‘railbanked’’ 
rail trails; 
Whereas the National Trails System embodies many strands 
of America’s natural, historic, and cultural heritage, pro-
vides countless opportunities for healthful recreation 
through the great diversity of landscapes and ecosystems 
that comprise this great American land, and commemo-
rates the rich tapestry of cultures and peoples that com-
prise our Nation; 
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•HRES 1443 IH 
Whereas congressionally authorized National Scenic and His-
toric Trails are complex partnerships involving various 
Federal agencies, primarily the National Park Service, 
Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, that administer and manage these trails, while 
the Federal Highway Administration has been an impor-
tant source of funding for them, the States and tribal 
governments, and dozens of dedicated nonprofit trail or-
ganizations; 
Whereas the National Trails System is sustained through cit-
izen-based stewardship with volunteers usually taking the 
lead in nearly all aspects of trail resources including in-
ventory, database construction, planning, development, 
interpretation, preservation, and maintenance of the 
trails; 
Whereas between 1995 and 2007, volunteers organized and 
guided by the nonprofit partner trail organizations con-
tributed 
more 
than 
7,661,000 
hours 
valued 
at 
$119,370,000 to help develop and sustain the National 
Scenic and Historic Trails and the natural and cultural 
resources along them, leveraging many times over the 
Federal funding provided for these trails by Congress; 
and 
Whereas the many trails in the National Trails System pro-
vide local identity, connections to history and heritage, 
healthy recreation, and economic benefit for thousands of 
communities throughout the Nation: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the United States House of Rep-
resentatives— 
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•HRES 1443 IH 
(1) reaffirms support for the National Trails 
System and intends to provide funding and nec-
essary authorities to complete the designated Na-
tional Scenic and Historic Trails; 
(2) honors the contributions of the thousands of 
dedicated volunteers, nonprofit organizations, co-
operating landowners, and Federal agency staff who 
work to develop, protect, interpret, and sustain the 
trails; and 
(3) recognizes the essential collaboration among 
Federal agencies and private organizations so nec-
essary to consistently administer and manage the 
long-distance National Scenic and Historic Trails 
and encourages the agencies to continue to foster 
more effective public, private, and interagency col-
laboration. 
Æ 
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