I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3250
To amend the National Trails System Act to create a new category of
long-distance trails to be known as National Discovery Trails, to author-
ize the American Discovery Trail as the first national trail in that
category, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 16, 1996
Mr. BEREUTER (for himself, Mr. FORD, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr.
PICKETT, Mr. DELLUMS, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. STARK, Mr. FAZIO of Cali-
fornia, Mr. COSTELLO, Mrs. MEYERS of Kansas, Mr. EHLERS, Mr.
SCHAEFER, Mr. MOLLOHAN, Mr. LEACH, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. BOEH-
LERT, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. CLAY, Mr. VENTO, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. EVANS,
Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. SKAGGS, Ms. MCCARTHY, Mr.
HEFLEY, Mr. WELLER, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. BUNNING of Kentucky,
Mr. BAKER of California, Mr. BEILENSON, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HASTINGS
of Florida, Mr. HAMILTON, Mr. FROST, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. BARRETT of
Nebraska, Mr. ORTON, Mr. NEY, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. FAWELL, and Mr.
MILLER of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To amend the National Trails System Act to create a new
category of long-distance trails to be known as National
Discovery Trails, to authorize the American Discovery
Trail as the first national trail in that category, 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 Discovery
Trails Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT AMENDMENTS.
(a) NATIONAL DISCOVERY TRAILS ESTABLISHED.—
Section 3(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C.
1242(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (4) the
following:
‘‘(5) National discovery trails, established under
section 5, which will be extended, continuous inter-
state trails so located as to provide for outstanding
outdoor recreation and travel and to connect rep-
resentative examples of America’s trails and commu-
nities. National discovery trails should provide for
the conservation and enjoyment of significant natu-
ral, cultural, and historic resources associated with
each trail and should be so located as to represent
metropolitan, urban, rural, and back-country regions
of the Nation. The appropriate Secretary shall ad-
minister national discovery trails in cooperation with
a nonprofit organization.’’.
(b) DESIGNATION
OF
THE AMERICAN DISCOVERY
TRAIL AS A NATIONAL DISCOVERY TRAIL.—Section 5(a)
of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating the paragraph relating to
the California National Historic Trail as paragraph
18;
(2) by redesignating the paragraph relating to
the Pony Express National Historic Trail as para-
graph 19; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(20) The American Discovery Trail, a trail of ap-
proximately 6,000 miles extending from Cape Henlopen
State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore
in California, traveling through Delaware, Maryland,
Washington, DC, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky,
where near Cincinnati it splits into 2 routes. The Northern
Midwest route winds through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,
Nebraska, and Colorado, and the Southern Midwest route
explores Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado.
After rejoining in Denver, Colorado, the route continues
through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The trail
is generally described in volume 2 of the National Park
Service feasibility study dated June 1995 which shall be
on file and available for public inspection in the office of
the Director of the National Park Service, Department of
the Interior, Washington, DC. The American Discovery
Trail shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior
in cooperation with a nonprofit organization and other af-
fected land managing agencies. No lands or interests out-
side the exterior boundaries of federally administered
areas may be acquired by the United States solely for the
American Discovery Trail. This trail is exempted from sec-
tions 5(d), 7(e), 7(f), and 7(g).’’.
(c) COMPREHENSIVE
NATIONAL
SCENIC
TRAIL
PLAN.—Section 5(e) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(e)) is
amended by striking the first sentence through ‘‘as part
of the system,’’ and inserting ‘‘Within two complete fiscal
years of the date of enactment of legislation designating
a national scenic trail, except for the Continental Divide
National Scenic Trail and the North Country National
Scenic Trail, or a national discovery trail, except for the
American Discovery Trail, as part of the system,’’.
(d) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR AMERICAN DISCOV-
ERY TRAIL.—Section 5 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1244) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(g) The Secretary of the Interior shall enter into ar-
rangements with a nonprofit organization to submit (with-
in 3 complete fiscal years after the date of the enactment
of this subsection) a comprehensive plan for the protec-
tion, management, development, and use of the American
Discovery Trail, to the Committee on Resources of the
United States House of Representatives and the Commit-
tee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States