II
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 923
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 20, 2007
Mr. Kerry introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
A BILL
To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the New England National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
New England National Scenic Trail
Designation Act
.
Authorization and administration
Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
New England national scenic trail
The New England National Scenic Trail, a
continuous trail extending approximately 220 miles from the border of New
Hampshire in the town of Royalston, Massachusetts to Long Island Sound in the
town of Guilford, Connecticut, as generally depicted on the maps associated
with the preferred alternative contained in the draft report titled the
Metacomet Monadnock Mattabesett Trail System National Scenic Trail
Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment
, prepared by the
National Park Service, and dated Spring 2006. The report shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the National Park
Service. The Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with Federal, State,
tribal, regional, and local agencies, the Appalachian Mountain Club, the
Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and other organizations, shall
administer the trail consistent with the recommendations of the draft report.
The United States shall not acquire for the trail any land or interest in land
without the consent of the owner.
Management
The Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in
this Act referred to as the Secretary
) shall use the Trail
Management Blueprint described in the draft report titled the Metacomet
Monadnock Mattabesett Trail System National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study and
Environmental Assessment
, prepared by the National Park Service, and
dated Spring 2006, as the framework for management and administration of the
New England National Scenic Trail. Additional or more detailed plans for
administration, management, protection, access, maintenance, or development of
the trail may be developed consistent with the Trail Management Blueprint, and
as approved by the Secretary.
Cooperative agreements
The Secretary is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (and its political subdivisions), the State of Connecticut (and its political subdivisions), the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Connecticut Forest and Park Association, and other regional, local, and private organizations deemed necessary and desirable to accomplish cooperative trail administrative, management, and protection objectives consistent with the Trail Management Blueprint. An agreement under this section may include provisions for limited financial assistance to encourage participation in the planning, acquisition, protection, operation, development, or maintenance of the trail.
Additional trail segments
Pursuant to section 6 of the National Trails System Act, the Secretary is encouraged to work with the State of New Hampshire and appropriate local and private organizations to include that portion of the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in New Hampshire (which lies between Royalston, Massachusetts and Jaffrey, New Hampshire) as a component of the New England National Scenic Trail. Inclusion of this segment, as well as other potential side or connecting trails, is contingent upon written application to the Secretary by appropriate State and local jurisdictions and a finding by the Secretary that trail management and administration is consistent with the Trail Management Blueprint.