[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC1241]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 27--NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM
Sec. 1241. Congressional statement of policy and declaration of
purpose
(a) Considerations for determining establishment of trails
In order to provide for the ever-increasing outdoor recreation needs
of an expanding population and in order to promote the preservation of,
public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the
open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nation, trails
should be established (i) primarily, near the urban areas of the Nation,
and (ii) secondarily, within scenic areas and along historic travel
routes of the Nation, which are often more remotely located.
(b) Initial components
The purpose of this chapter is to provide the means for attaining
these objectives by instituting a national system of recreation, scenic
and historic trails, by designating the Appalachian Trail and the
Pacific Crest Trail as the initial components of that system, and by
prescribing the methods by which, and standards according to which,
additional components may be added to the system.
(c) Volunteer citizen involvement
The Congress recognizes the valuable contributions that volunteers
and private, nonprofit trail groups have made to the development and
maintenance of the Nation's trails. In recognition of these
contributions, it is further the purpose of this chapter to encourage
and assist volunteer citizen involvement in the planning, development,
maintenance, and management, where appropriate, of trails.
(Pub. L. 90-543, Sec. 2, Oct. 2, 1968, 82 Stat. 919; Pub. L. 95-625,
title V, Sec. 551(1)-(3), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3511; Pub. L. 98-11,
title II, Sec. 202, Mar. 28, 1983, 97 Stat. 42.)
Amendments
1983--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98-11, Sec. 202(1), substituted ``The''
for ``the'' before ``purpose''.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-11, Sec. 202(2), added subsec. (c).
1978--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95-625, Sec. 551(1), (2), inserted ``the
preservation of,'' and ``and historic resources'' after ``promote'' and
``outdoor areas'' and substituted ``within scenic areas and along
historic travel routes of the Nation, which are often more remotely
located'' for ``within established scenic areas more remotely located''.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95-625, Sec. 551(3), substituted ``, scenic and
historic'' for ``and scenic''.
Short Title of 2002 Amendments
Pub. L. 107-338, Sec. 1, Dec. 16, 2002, 116 Stat. 2886, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title and enacting
provisions set out as a note under section 1244 of this title] may be
cited as the `Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail Study Act of
2002'.''
Pub. L. 107-325, Sec. 1, Dec. 4, 2002, 116 Stat. 2790, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `Old Spanish Trail Recognition Act of 2002'.''
Pub. L. 107-214, Sec. 1, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1053, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `Long Walk National Historic Trail Study Act'.''
Short Title of 2000 Amendments
Pub. L. 106-509, Sec. 1, Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2361, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail Act'.''
Pub. L. 106-307, Sec. 1, Oct. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 1074, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Act'.''
Short Title of 1999 Amendment
Pub. L. 106-135, Sec. 1, Dec. 7, 1999, 113 Stat. 1685, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail Study Act of 1999'.''
Short Title of 1993 Amendments
Pub. L. 103-145, Sec. 1, Nov. 17, 1993, 107 Stat. 1496, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `El Camino Real Para Los Texas Study Act of 1993'.''
Pub. L. 103-144, Sec. 1, Nov. 17, 1993, 107 Stat. 1494, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro Study Act of 1993'.''
Short Title of 1990 Amendments
Pub. L. 101-365, Sec. 1, Aug. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 429, provided
that: ``This Act [amending sections 1244 and 1249 of this title] may be
cited as the `Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Act'.''
Pub. L. 101-321, Sec. 1, July 3, 1990, 104 Stat. 293, provided that:
``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as the
`Selma to Montgomery National Trail Study Act of 1989'.''
Short Title of 1988 Amendments
Pub. L. 100-559, title II, Sec. 201, Oct. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 2797,
provided that: ``This title [amending section 1244 of this title] may be
cited as the `Coronado National Trail Study Act of 1988'.''
Pub. L. 100-470, Sec. 1, Oct. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 2281, provided
that: ``This Act [amending sections 1244 and 1248 of this title and
enacting provisions set out as notes under section 1248 of this title]
may be cited as the `National Trails System Improvements Act of 1988'.''
Short Title of 1987 Amendment
Pub. L. 100-187, Sec. 1, Dec. 11, 1987, 101 Stat. 1287, provided
that: ``This Act [amending section 1244 of this title] may be cited as
the `De Soto National Trail Study Act of 1987'.''
Short Title of 1983 Amendment
Section 201 of title II of Pub. L. 98-11 provided that: ``This title
[enacting sections 1250 and 1251 of this title and amending this section
and sections 1242 to 1247 and 1249 of this title] may be cited as the
`National Trails System Act Amendments of 1983'.''
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 90-543 provided that: ``This Act [enacting this
chapter] may be cited as the `National Trails System Act'.''
Ex. Ord. No. 13195. Trails for America in the 21st Century
Ex. Ord. No. 13195, Jan. 18, 2001, 66 F.R. 7391, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, and in furtherance of purposes
of the National Trails System Act of 1968, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1241-
1251), the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Public Law
105-178) [see Short Title of 1998 Amendments note set out under section
101 of Title 23, Highways], and other pertinent statutes, and to achieve
the common goal of better establishing and operating America's national
system of trails, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Federal Agency Duties. Federal agencies will, to the
extent permitted by law and where practicable--and in cooperation with
Tribes, States, local governments, and interested citizen groups--
protect, connect, promote, and assist trails of all types throughout the
United States. This will be accomplished by:
(a) Providing trail opportunities of all types, with minimum adverse
impacts and maximum benefits for natural, cultural, and community
resources;
(b) Protecting the trail corridors associated with national scenic
trails and the high priority potential sites and segments of national
historic trails to the degrees necessary to ensure that the values for
which each trail was established remain intact;
(c) Coordinating maps and data for the components of the national
trails system and Millennium Trails network to ensure that these trails
are connected into a national system and that they benefit from
appropriate national programs;
(d) Promoting and registering National Recreation Trails, as
authorized in the National Trails System Act, by incorporating where
possible the commitments and partners active with Millennium Trails;
(e) Participating in a National Trails Day the first Saturday of
June each year, coordinating Federal events with the National Trails
Day's sponsoring organization, the American Hiking Society;
(f) Familiarizing Federal agencies that are active in tourism and
travel with the components of a national system of trails and the
Millennium Trails network and including information about them in
Federal promotional and outreach programs;
(g) Fostering volunteer programs and opportunities to engage
volunteers in all aspects of trail planning, development, maintenance,
management, and education as outlined in 16 U.S.C. 1250;
(h) Encouraging participation of qualified youth conservation or
service corps, as outlined in 41 [42] U.S.C. 12572 and 42 U.S.C. 12656,
to perform construction and maintenance of trails and trail-related
projects, as encouraged in sections 1108(g) and 1112(e) of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century [23 U.S.C. 133 note, 206
note], and also in trail planning protection, operations, and education;
(i) Promoting trails for safe transportation and recreation within
communities;
(j) Providing and promoting a wide variety of trail opportunities
and experiences for people of all ages and abilities;
(k) Providing historical interpretation of trails and trail sites
and enhancing cultural and heritage tourism through special events,
artworks, and programs; and
(l) Providing training and information services to provide high-
quality information and training opportunities to Federal employees,
Tribal, State, and local government agencies, and the other trail
partners.
Sec. 2. The Federal Interagency Council on Trails. The Federal
Interagency Council on Trails (Council), first established by agreement
between the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior in 1969, is
hereby recognized as a long-standing interagency working group. Its core
members represent the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land of
[sic] Management and National Park Service, the Department of
Agriculture's Forest Service, and the Department of Transportation's
Federal Highway Administration. Other Federal agencies, such as those
representing cultural and heritage interests, are welcome to join this
council. Leadership of the Council may rotate among its members as
decided among themselves at the start of each fiscal year. The Council's
mission is to coordinate information and program decisions, as well as
policy recommendations, among all appropriate Federal agencies (in
consultation with appropriate nonprofit organizations) to foster the
development of America's trails through the following means:
(a) Enhancing federally designated trails of all types (e.g.,
scenic, historic, recreation, and Millennium) and working to integrate
these trails into a fully connected national system;
(b) Coordinating mapping, signs and markers, historical and cultural
interpretations, public information, training, and developing plans and
recommendations for a national trails registry and database;
(c) Ensuring that trail issues are integrated in Federal agency
programs and that technology transfer and education programs are
coordinated at the national level; and
(d) Developing a memorandum of understanding among the agencies to
encourage long-term interagency coordination and cooperation to further
the spirit and intent of the National Trails System Act and related
programs.
Sec. 3. Issue Resolution and Handbook for Federal Administrators of
the National Trails System. Federal agencies shall together develop a
process for resolving interagency issues concerning trails. In addition,
reflecting the authorities of the National Trails System Act,
participating agencies shall coordinate preparation of (and updates for)
an operating handbook for Federal administrators of the National Trails
System and others involved in creating a national system of trails. The
handbook shall reflect each agencies' governing policies and provide
guidance to each agencies' field staff and partners about the roles and
responsibilities needed to make each trail in the national system fully
operational.
Sec. 4. Observance of Existing Laws. Nothing in this Executive Order
shall be construed to o
