[Senate Report 115-301]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 515
115th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 115-301
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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]