[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1528 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 1528


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 31, 2008

   Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To amend the National Trails System Act to designate the New England 
             National Scenic Trail, and for other purposes.

    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 ``New England National Scenic Trail 
Designation Act''.

SEC. 2. 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 map 
        titled `New England National Scenic Trail Proposed Route', 
        numbered T06-80,000, and dated October 2007. The map 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 titled the `Metacomet 
        Monadnock Mattabesset Trail System National Scenic Trail 
        Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment', prepared by 
        the National Park Service, and dated Spring 2006. The United 
        States shall not acquire for the trail any land or interest in 
        land without the consent of the owner.''.

SEC. 3. MANAGEMENT.

    (a) In General.--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.
    (b) Application of Certain State and Local Laws.--Notwithstanding 
subsection (a), all designated and future designated lands within the 
New England National Scenic Trail, including all Federal lands, shall 
be exclusively governed by relevant State and local laws regarding 
hunting, fishing, and the possession or use of a weapon (including 
concealed weapons), trap, or net.

SEC. 4. 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.

SEC. 5. 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.

            Passed the House of Representatives January 29, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.