I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3860 
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 
FEBRUARY 26, 2004 
Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. KIND, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. 
KILDEE, Mr. OBEY, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. 
LEVIN, Mr. REGULA, Ms. HART, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. 
UDALL of Colorado, Ms. BALDWIN, and Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Re-
sources 
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 ‘‘National Trails System 
Willing Seller Act’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO ACQUIRE LANDS 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 lands or interests therein 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 thereof. The authority of the 
Federal Government to acquire fee title under this para-
graph shall be limited to an average of not more than one- 
quarter 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 lands or interests therein 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 thereof. The author-
ity of the Federal Government to acquire fee title under 
this paragraph shall be limited to an average of not more 
than one-quarter 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 
end the following: ‘‘No lands or interests therein 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 thereof. The author-
ity of the Federal Government to acquire fee title under 
this paragraph shall be limited to an average of not more 
than one-quarter 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 lands or interests therein 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 thereof. The author-
ity of the Federal Government to acquire fee title under 
this paragraph shall be limited to an average of not more 
than one-quarter 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 lands or interests therein 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 thereof. The authority of the 
Federal Government to acquire fee title under this para-
U.S.C. 1244(a)(14)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: ‘‘No lands or interests therein outside the exte-
rior boundaries of any federally administered area may be 
acquired by the Federal Government for the trail except 
with the consent of the owner thereof. The authority of 
the Federal Government to acquire fee title under this 
paragraph shall be limited to an average of not more than 
one-quarter mile on either side of the trail.’’. 
(j) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 10(c) of the 
National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1249(c)) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
‘‘(c)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, 
there is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may 
be necessary to implement the provisions of this Act relat-
ing to the trails designated by section 5(a). 
‘‘(2) Not more than $500,000 may be appropriated 
for the purposes of land acquisition and interests therein 
for the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail designated 
by section 5(a)(12) of this Act, and not more than 
$2,000,000 may be appropriated for the purposes of the 
development of such trail. The administering agency for 
the trail shall encourage volunteer trail groups to partici-
pate in the development of the trail.’’. 
Æ