[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 30 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2081-S2082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MURKOWSKI:
  S. 498. A bill entitled ``National Discovery Trails Act of 2001''; to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, America's trails are one of our most 
treasured recreational resources. Each year millions of Americans hike, 
ski, jog, bike, ride horses, drive snow machines and all-terrain 
vehicles, observe nature, commute, and relax on trails throughout the 
country. The types of trails found across the nation are varied and 
range from urban bike paths to bridle paths, community green ways, 
abandoned railroad right-of-ways, historic trails, and long distance 
hiking trails.
  This legislation proposes to establish the American Discovery Trail, 
or ADT. The ADT is being proposed as a continuous coast to coast trail 
that links the nation's principal north-south trails and east-west 
historic trails with shorter local and regional trails into a 
nationwide network.
  National Discovery Trails are a new category of trails that recognize 
that use and enjoyment of trails close to home is equally as important 
as hiking remote wilderness trails. National Discovery Trails will 
connect people to large cities, small towns and urban areas and to 
mountains, forest, desert and natural areas by incorporating local, 
regional and national trails together.
  The American Discovery Trail links towns and cities on America's long 
distance trail system. Existing long-distance trails are used mostly by 
people living close to the trail and by weekend users. Backpacking 
excursions are normally a few days to a couple of weeks long. For 
example, of the estimated three million users of the Appalachian Trail 
each year, only about 150 to 200 are ``through-hikers'' who hike the 
trail from end to end. This will also be true of the American Discovery 
Trail as well, especially because of its proximity to urban areas.
  The ADT, the first of the Discovery Trails, will connect six national 
scenic trails, 10 national historic trails, 23 national recreational 
trails, and hundreds of other local and regional trails. The ADT will 
be a thread that sews together a variety of events, cultures, and 
features that are all part of the American experience.
  What makes the ADT so exciting is the way it has already brought 
people together. More than 100 organizations along the trail's 6,000 
miles support the effort. Each state the trail pass through already has 
a volunteer coordinator who leads an active ADT committee. This strong 
grassroots effort, along with financial support from Backpacker 
magazine, Ford Motor Company, The Coleman Company and others have 
helped take the ADT from dream to reality.
  Only one more very important step on the trail needs to be taken. 
Congress needs to authorize the trail as part of our National Trails 
System.
  The American Discovery Trail begins (or ends) with your two feet in 
the Pacific Ocean at Point Reyes National Seashore, just north of San 
Francisco. Next are Berkeley and Sacramento before the climb to the 
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and Lake Tahoe, in the middle of 
the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
  Nevada will offer Historic Virginia City, home of the Comstock Lode, 
the Pony Express National Historic Trail, Great Basin National Park 
with Lehman Caves and Wheeler Peak.
  Utah will provide National Forests and Parks along with spectacular 
red rock country, until you get to Colorado and Colorado National 
Monument and its 20,445 acres of sandstone monoliths and canyons. Then 
there's Grand Mesa over Scofield Pass, and Crested Butte, in the heart 
of ski country as you follow the Colorado and Continental Divide Trails 
into Evergreen.
  At Denver the ADT divides and becomes the Northern and Southern 
Midwest routes. The Northern Midwest Route winds through Nebraska, 
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The Southern Midwest Route leaves 
Colorado and the Air Force Academy and follows the tracks and wagon 
wheel ruts of thousands of early pioneers through Kansas and Missouri 
as well as settlements and historic places in Illinois, Indiana, 
Kentucky until the trail joins the Northern route in Cincinnati.
  West Virginia is next, then Maryland to the C&O Canal into Washington 
D.C. The Trail passed the Mall, the White House, the Capitol, and then 
heads on to Annapolis. Finally, in Delaware, the ADT reaches its 
eastern terminus at Cap Henlopen State Park and the Atlantic Ocean.
  Between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans one will experience some of 
the

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most spectacular scenery in the world, thousands of historic sites, 
lakes, rivers and streams of every size. The trail offers an 
opportunity to discover America from small towns, to rural country 
side, to large metropolitan areas.
  When the President signs this legislation into law, a twelve year 
effort will have been achieved--the American Discovery Trail will have 
become a reality. The more people who use it, the better.
                                 ______