I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1435 
To amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal authority relating 
to land acquisition from willing sellers for the majority of the trails 
in the System, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2009 
Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the National Trails System Act to clarify Federal 
authority relating to land acquisition from willing sellers 
for the majority of the trails in the System, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Trails System 
Willing Seller Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE LAND FROM WILLING 
SELLERS FOR CERTAIN TRAILS. 
(a) OREGON NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.—Section 
5(a)(3) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
1244(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior 
boundaries of any federally administered area may be ac-
quired by the Federal Government for the trail except with 
the consent of the owner of the land or interest in land. 
The authority of the Federal Government to acquire fee 
title under this paragraph shall be limited to an average 
of not more than 1⁄4 mile on either side of the trail.’’. 
(b) 
MORMON
PIONEER
NATIONAL
HISTORIC 
TRAIL.—Section 5(a)(4) of the National Trails System 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)(4)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the 
exterior boundaries of any federally administered area 
may be acquired by the Federal Government for the trail 
except with the consent of the owner of the land or interest 
in land. The authority of the Federal Government to ac-
quire fee title under this paragraph shall be limited to an 
average of not more than 1⁄4 mile on either side of the 
trail.’’. 
(c) 
CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE
NATIONAL
SCENIC 
TRAIL.—Section 5(a)(5) of the National Trails System 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)(5)) is amended by adding at the 
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end the following: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the 
exterior boundaries of any federally administered area 
may be acquired by the Federal Government for the trail 
except with the consent of the owner of the land or interest 
in land. The authority of the Federal Government to ac-
quire fee title under this paragraph shall be limited to an 
average of not more than 1⁄4 mile on either side of the 
trail.’’. 
(d) LEWIS
AND
CLARK
NATIONAL
HISTORIC 
TRAIL.—Section 5(a)(6) of the National Trails System 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)(6)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the 
exterior boundaries of any federally administered area 
may be acquired by the Federal Government for the trail 
except with the consent of the owner of the land or interest 
in land. The authority of the Federal Government to ac-
quire fee title under this paragraph shall be limited to an 
average of not more than 1⁄4 mile on either side of the 
trail.’’. 
(e) IDITAROD NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.—Section 
5(a)(7) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
1244(a)(7)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘No land or interest in land outside the exterior 
boundaries of any federally administered area may be ac-
quired by the Federal Government for the trail except with 
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aries of any federally administered area may be ac-
quired by the Federal Government for the trail ex-
cept with the consent of the owner of the land or in-
terest in land.’’. 
(i) NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.—Sec-
tion 5(a)(14) of the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1244(a)(14)) is amended— 
(1) by striking the fourth and fifth sentences; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘No 
land or interest in land outside the exterior bound-
aries of any federally administered area may be ac-
quired by the Federal Government for the trail ex-
cept with the consent of the owner of the land or in-
terest in land. The authority of the Federal Govern-
ment to acquire fee title under this paragraph shall 
be limited to an average of not more than 1⁄4 mile 
on either side of the trail.’’. 
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 
Section 10 of the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1249) is amended by striking subsection (c) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided in this Act, there are authorized to be appro-
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priated such sums as are necessary to implement the 
provisions of this Act relating to the trails des-
ignated by section 5(a). 
‘‘(2) 
NATCHEZ
TRACE
NATIONAL
SCENIC 
TRAIL.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the 
Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail (referred 
to in this paragraph as the ‘trail’) designated 
by section 5(a)(12)— 
‘‘(i) not more than $500,000 shall be 
appropriated for the acquisition of land or 
interests in land for the trail; and 
‘‘(ii) not more than $2,000,000 shall 
be appropriated for the development of the 
trail. 
‘‘(B) 
PARTICIPATION
BY
VOLUNTEER 
TRAIL GROUPS.—The administering agency for 
the trail shall encourage volunteer trail groups 
to participate in the development of the trail.’’. 
Æ 
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