[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2053 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2053

To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Star-Spangled 
Banner Trail in the States of Maryland and Virginia and the District of 
                 Columbia as a National Historic Trail.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 3, 2005

  Mr. Cardin (for himself and Mr. Gilchrest) introduced the following 
         bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Star-Spangled 
Banner Trail in the States of Maryland and Virginia and the District of 
                 Columbia as a National Historic Trail.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Star-Spangled Banner National 
Historic Trail Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF TRAIL.

    Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(25) Star-spangled banner national historic trail.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Star-Spangled Banner 
                National Historic Trail (referred to in this paragraph 
                as the `trail'), an approximately 290-mile long trail 
                extending from southern Maryland through the District 
                of Columbia and Virginia, and north to Baltimore, 
                Maryland, commemorating the Chesapeake Campaign of the 
                War of 1812 (including the British invasion of 
                Washington, District of Columbia, and its associated 
                feints and the Battle of Baltimore in summer 1814), as 
                generally depicted on the maps contained in the draft 
                report entitled `Star-Spangled Banner National Historic 
                Trail Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact 
                Statement', and dated March 2004.
                    ``(B) Map.--A map generally depicting the trail 
                shall be maintained on file and available for public 
                inspection in the appropriate offices of the National 
                Park Service.
                    ``(C) Administration.--Subject to subparagraph 
                (E)(ii), the trail shall be administered by the 
                Secretary of the Interior.
                    ``(D) Land acquisition.--No land or interest in 
                land outside the exterior boundaries of any federally 
                administered area may be acquired by the United States 
                for the trail except with the consent of the owner of 
                the land or interest in land.
                    ``(E) Public participation.--The Secretary of the 
                Interior shall--
                            ``(i) encourage communities, owners of land 
                        along the trail, and volunteer trail groups to 
                        participate in the planning, development, and 
                        maintenance of the trail; and
                            ``(ii) consult with other affected 
                        landowners and Federal, State, and local 
                        agencies in the administration of the trail.
                    ``(F) Interpretation and assistance.--Subject to 
                the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of 
                the Interior may provide to State and local governments 
                and nonprofit organizations interpretive programs and 
                services and, through Fort McHenry National Monument 
                and Shrine, technical assistance, for use in carrying 
                out preservation and development of, and education 
                relating to the War of 1812 along, the trail.''.
                                 <all>