I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3683 
To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Benton MacKaye 
National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2023 
Mr. COHEN
(for himself, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. 
DESJARLAIS, Mrs. MCBATH, and Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the 
Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail, 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 ‘‘Benton MacKaye Na-
tional Scenic Trail Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that the Benton MacKaye Trail— 
(1) is a scenic, nonmotorized trail that traverses 
approximately 287 miles over some of the most re-
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nowned forests and mountains in the States of Geor-
gia, Tennessee, and North Carolina; 
(2) showcases a wide variety of scenic views, in-
cluding high elevation peaks, mature forests, and se-
cluded waterfalls, and passes through wilderness rich 
with biodiversity; 
(3) passes through six designated Wilderness 
Areas, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 
and the Chattahoochee, Cherokee, and Nantahala 
National Forests; 
(4) provides a wide array of easily accessible 
hikes for novice and intermediate hikers, as well as 
more challenging trails for backpacking; 
(5) supports economic opportunities for numer-
ous rural communities that benefit from the trail’s 
visitors spending their money on accommodations, 
food, and outdoor supplies; 
(6) runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia, 
through Tennessee, and extends through the Great 
Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina; 
and 
(7) is physically accessible and can be main-
tained at a minimal cost because— 
(A) the Benton MacKaye Trail has been 
maintained at its current length since 2005; 
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(B) 95 percent of the Benton MacKaye 
Trail is located on Federal land; and 
(C) the Benton MacKaye Trail has been 
successfully constructed, maintained, and man-
aged by the Benton MacKaye Trail Association 
since 1980. 
SEC. 3. BENTON MACKAYE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL. 
Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(32) BENTON
MACKAYE
NATIONAL
SCENIC 
TRAIL.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Benton MacKaye 
National Scenic Trail, a trail extending approxi-
mately 287 miles across the States of Georgia, 
Tennessee, and North Carolina, as generally de-
picted on the map entitled ‘Benton MacKaye 
Trail Overview Map’, dated January 6, 2022. 
‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY
OF
MAP.—The map 
described in subparagraph (A) shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appro-
priate offices of the Forest Service and the Na-
tional Park Service. 
‘‘(C) AUTHORIZED USES.— 
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‘‘(i) EXISTING
USES.—Existing non- 
motorized recreational activities, where au-
thorized on the day before the date of the 
enactment of the Benton MacKaye Na-
tional Scenic Trail Act of 2023, including 
equestrian, non-motorized bicycling, and 
special uses, are authorized on the trail. 
‘‘(ii) 
REQUIRED
COMPREHENSIVE 
PLAN.—The comprehensive plan required 
under subsection (e) shall address author-
ized uses and management of the rec-
reational, scenic, and other values for 
which the trail is established. 
‘‘(D) 
ADMINISTRATION.—The 
Benton 
MacKaye National Scenic Trail shall be admin-
istered by the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 
through the Chief of the Forest Service, in con-
sultation with— 
‘‘(i) other Federal agencies; 
‘‘(ii) State, Tribal, regional, and local 
agencies; and 
‘‘(iii) 
nonprofit 
organizations 
and 
other mutually beneficial cooperators.’’. 
Æ 
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