I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 2768
To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of Agri-
culture to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Benton
MacKaye Trail as a national scenic trail.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL9, 2025
Mr. F
LEISCHMANN (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. EDWARDS, and Mrs.
M
CBATH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the
Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study on the feasi-
bility of designating the Benton MacKaye Trail as a
national scenic trail.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Benton MacKaye Na-4
tional Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025’’. 5
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6
Congress finds that the Benton MacKaye Trail— 7
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(1) is a scenic, nonmotorized trail that traverses 1
approximately 287 miles over some of the most re-2
nowned forests and mountains in the States of Geor-3
gia, Tennessee, and North Carolina; 4
(2) showcases a wide variety of scenic views, in-5
cluding high-elevation peaks, mature forests, and se-6
cluded waterfalls; 7
(3) passes through wilderness that is rich with 8
biodiversity; 9
(4) passes through six designated Wilderness 10
Areas, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 11
and the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee, and 12
Nantahala National Forests; 13
(5) provides a wide array of easily accessible 14
hikes for novice and intermediate hikers, as well as 15
more challenging trails for backpacking; 16
(6) supports economic opportunities for numer-17
ous rural communities which benefit from the visi-18
tors of the trail spending their money on accom-19
modations, food, and outdoor supplies; 20
(7) runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia, 21
through Tennessee, and extends through the Great 22
Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina; 23
(8) is physically accessible; and 24
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(9) can be maintained at a minimal cost be-1
cause— 2
(A) the Benton MacKaye Trail has been 3
maintained at its current length since 2005; 4
(B) 95 percent of the Benton MacKaye 5
Trail is located on Federal land; and 6
(C) the Benton MacKaye Trail has been 7
successfully constructed, maintained, and man-8
aged by the Benton MacKaye Trail Association 9
since 1980. 10
SEC. 3. BENTON MACKAYE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL FEASI-11
BILITY STUDY. 12
Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 13
U.S.C. 1244(c)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-14
lowing: 15
‘‘(50) B
ENTON MACKAYE TRAIL .— 16
‘‘(A) I
N GENERAL.—The Benton MacKaye 17
Trail, a scenic, nonmotorized trail that tra-18
verses approximately 287 miles in the States of 19
Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. 20
‘‘(B) S
TUDY.—Not later than 1 year after 21
the date of the enactment of this paragraph, 22
the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation 23
with interested organizations, including the 24
Benton MacKaye Trail Association, shall com-25
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plete and submit to Congress the feasibility 1
study for designating the Benton MacKaye 2
Trail as a national scenic trail.’’. 3
Æ
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