Status of proposed amendments to the National Trails System Act

This status report on current legislative items before Congress was compiled by Steve Elkinton as of June 9, 2005

Title -- Bill Number, Introduced by, Date introduced -- Status/Comments

American Discovery Trail -- HR690, Bartlett (R-MD), 2/2/05
-- both a trail and a new category effort has been going on for several years

Arizona Trail Study -- S 588, McCain and Kyl, 3/10/05; and HR 1250, Kolbe, 3/10/05
-- Unfinished gaps are all on public lands

Captain John Smith Trail -- S 336, Sarbanes (D-MD), 2/9/05; and HR 2588, Davis (R-VA), 5/24/05
-- Chesapeake Bay water trail system; hearing on April 28, 2005

Efficiency and Fairness in Railroad ROW Acquisition -- HR 1261, Ryun (R-KS), 3/10/05

Establish Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail -- S-958. Sarbanes and Mikkulski (D-MD), 4/28/05

Four Historic Trails Feasibility Study -- S 54, Hatch (R-UT), 1/24/05
-- approved by committee Feb. 16, 2005; OCTA currently seeking house sponsorship

Mississippi River Trail Study -- HR 1796, McCollum (D-MN),4/21/05
-- Study bill for Mississippi River from Minnesota to Gulf of Mexico as NST, NHT, or both

North Country re-route in Minnesota -- not yet introduced

Trail of Tears additional routes -- House, Wamp
-- Study to include Bell and Benges' routes, collection forts, and related sites

Willing Seller -- S 974, Allard (R-CO), 4/28/05; and HR 2332, Beauprez (R-CO), 5/12/05

Other bills that relate to the National Trails System

Ice Age Floods -- HR 383; and S 206, Cantwell, 1/31/05
-- Independent of National Trails System Act

Right to Ride -- S 781, Crapo (R-ID), 4/14/05
-- Access on NPS, BLM, FWS, and USFS lands historically open to pack and saddle stock