[Senate Report 115-301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                      Calendar No. 515
115th Congress       }                                  {       Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session          }                                  {      115-301

======================================================================



 
                      AMERICAN DISCOVERY TRAIL ACT

                                _______
                                

                 July 16, 2018.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Ms. Murkowski, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1573]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 
referred the bill (S. 1573) to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to place signage on 
Federal land along the trail known as the ``American Discovery 
Trail,'' and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that 
the bill, as amended, do pass.

                               AMENDMENT

    The amendment is as follows:
    On page 1, line 5, strike ``of 2017''.

                                PURPOSE

    The purpose of S. 1573 is to authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to place signage on 
Federal land along the trail known as the ``American Discovery 
Trail.''

                          BACKGROUND AND NEED

    The American Discovery Trail (Trail) is the nation's only 
coast-to-coast, non-motorized, multi-use trail, and stretches 
across 6,800 miles and 15 states. Its route links existing 
trails, rail-trails, country lanes, small town sidewalks, and 
big city greenways. It connects rural towns and cities with 
parks and wilderness, and allows people to hike, bike, or ride 
horses for an afternoon or a cross-country adventure.
    The Trail uses existing public lands to connect five 
National Scenic, 12 National Historic, and 34 National 
Recreational Trails; 14 National Parks; and 16 National 
Forests. It links some 10,000 sites of historic, cultural, and 
natural significance. The Trail is a ``sea-to-shining-sea'' 
showcase of America's scenic, historic, and cultural treasures.
    S. 1573 would authorize the Trail to be fully marked with 
signage. Currently, many Federal, state, and local land 
managers will not allow signs to be installed without an 
official Federal authorization (the Trail is not a part of the 
National Trails System). The bill would authorize signage only 
and would not change or affect management of lands along the 
Trail.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    S. 1573 was introduced on July 18, 2017, by Senators Coons 
and Capito. The Subcommittee on National Parks conducted a 
hearing on S. 1573 on February 14, 2018.
    Similar legislation, H.R. 3251, was introduced in the House 
of Representatives by Rep. Fortenberry on July 14, 2017, and 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
    In the 114th Congress, similar legislation, S. 2608, was 
introduced by Senators Kirk and Coons on March 1, 2016. The 
Subcommittee on National Parks held a hearing to consider the 
bill on March 17, 2016. The Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources ordered S. 2608 favorably reported on July 13, 2016 
(S. Rept. 114-328).
    In the House of Representatives, similar legislation, H.R. 
2661, was introduced by Rep. Fortenberry on June 4, 2015, and 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
    The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in open 
business session on May 17, 2018, and ordered S. 1573 favorably 
reported, as amended.

                        COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

    The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in 
open business session on May 17, 2018, by a majority voice vote 
of a quorum present recommends that the Senate pass S. 1573, if 
amended as described herein.

                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

    During its consideration of S. 1573, the Committee adopted 
an amendment to update the date reference in the short title of 
the bill.

                      SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 contains the short title.

Section 2. Definitions

    Section 2 contains key definitions.

Section 3. Signage along the American Discovery Trail

    Section 3(a) directs the Secretary of the Interior to place 
signage on Federal land at points along the American Discovery 
Trail as soon as practicable after the date on which signage 
acceptable to the Secretary is donated to the United States.
    Subsection (b) prohibits the use of Federal funds to 
acquire signage authorized for placement under subsection (a).

                   COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

    The following estimate of the costs of this measure has 
been provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
    S. 1573 would require federal land management agencies to 
place donated signage along the American Discovery Trail, a 
6,800-mile trail between Delaware and California. Using 
information provided by the likely donor of the signage, CBO 
estimates that, under the bill, the Forest Service and agencies 
within Department of the Interior would be required to place 
between 2,500 and 5,000 small signs across the United States. 
Because CBO expects that the signage would be placed by 
employees performing routine trail maintenance and by 
volunteers supervised by the affected agencies, we estimate 
that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000; such 
spending would be subject to the availability of appropriations 
funds.
    Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or 
revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    CBO estimates that enacting S. 1573 would not increase net 
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
    S. 1573 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeff LaFave. The 
estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

                      REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

    In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following 
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in 
carrying out S. 1573. The bill is not a regulatory measure in 
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or 
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals 
and businesses.
    No personal information would be collected in administering 
the program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal 
privacy.
    Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the 
enactment of S. 1573, as ordered reported.

                   CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

    S. 1573, as ordered reported, does not contain any 
congressionally directed spending items, limited tax benefits, 
or limited tariff benefits as defined in rule XLIV of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate.

                        EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

    The testimony provided by the Department of the Interior at 
the February 14, 2018, hearing on S. 1573 follows:

Statement of P. Daniel Smith, Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority 
    of the Director of the National Park Service, Department of the 
                                Interior

    Chairman Daines, Ranking Member King, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to present the 
Department of the Interior's views on S. 1573, a bill to 
authorize the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
Agriculture to place signage on Federal land along the trail 
known as the ``American Discovery Trail,'' and for other 
purposes.
    The Department does not support S. 1573. We believe it 
would be unwise to mandate that Federal trail managers place a 
private organization's signage on Federal land.
    S. 1573 would require the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture to place signage denoting the American 
Discovery Trail on Federal land at points along the trail, as 
soon as practicable after signage acceptable to the respective 
Secretary is donated. The American Discovery Trail is not a 
Federally designated trail, but rather a trail coordinated and 
promoted by the non-profit organization named American 
Discovery Trail. The organization has done commendable work in 
bringing public awareness to many of America's special places, 
including some lesser known sites.
    The American Discovery Trail was proposed in 1990 as a 
continuous mid-continent, coast-to-coast trail to link 
metropolitan areas to the nation's major long-distance trails, 
as well as to shorter local and regional trails. In 1992, 
through P.L. 102-461, Congress directed the Secretary of the 
Interior to study the feasibility and desirability of adding 
the American Discovery Trail to the National Trails System. 
This study was submitted to Congress in 1998. The over 6,000-
mile route of the trail, as mapped in the feasibility study, 
extends from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point 
Reyes National Seashore in California.
    The study found that the American Discovery Trail could be 
appropriate for designation within a new class of national 
trails--National Discovery Trails--separate from National 
Scenic Trails or National Historic Trails. Congress has not 
taken action to authorize this new category of national trails 
or to provide any sort of official designation for an American 
Discovery Trail.
    Under current law, Federal land managers have the authority 
to determine the appropriateness of signage on Federal lands, 
and may allow the signage of non-Federal trails upon Federal 
lands, where appropriate, and in accordance with existing 
Federal laws, regulations, and policies.
    However, Federal land managers also may decline a request 
to allow signage of a non-Federal trail in instances where they 
believe the signage may have a detrimental impact upon visitor 
safety or resource protection. The Department believes that the 
managers of Federal trails should retain this decision making 
authority. We think it would be highly unusual for Federal land 
managers to be required by law to allow a non-profit 
organization to place their organization's signage on Federal 
land.
    Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement. I would be 
pleased to answer any questions that you or other members of 
the Subcommittee may have.

                        CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no 
changes in existing law are made by the bill S. 1573 as ordered 
reported.

                                  [all]