article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``National Discovery Trails Act of 1997''. SEC. 2. NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT AMENDMENTS. (a) National Discovery Trails Established.-- (1) In general.--Section 3(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1242(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (4) the following: ``(5) National discovery trails, established as provided in section 5, which will be extended, continuous, interstate trails so located as to provide for outstanding outdoor recreation and travel and to connect representative examples of America's trails and communities. National discovery trails should provide for the conservation and enjoyment of significant natural, cultural, and historic resources associated with each trail and should be so located as to represent metropolitan, urban, rural, and backcountry regions of the Nation.''. (2) Feasibility requirements; cooperative management requirement.--Section 5 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1244) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(g)(1) For purposes of subsection (b), a trail shall not be considered feasible and desirable for designation as a national discovery trail unless it meets all of the following criteria: ``(A) The trail must link to one or more areas within the boundaries of a metropolitan area (as those boundaries are determined under section 134(c) of title 23, United States Code). It should also join with other trails, tying the National Trails System to significant recreation and resources areas. ``(B) It must be supported by a competent trailwide nonprofit organization. Each trail should have extensive local and trailwide support by the public, by user groups, and by affected State and local governments. ``(C) It must be extended and pass through more than one State. At a minimum, it should be a continuous, walkable route. ``(2) The appropriate Secretary for each national discovery trail shall administer the trail in cooperation with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization.''. (b) Designation of the American Discovery Trail as a National Discovery Trail.--Section 5(a) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended-- (1) by redesignating the paragraph relating to the California National Historic Trail as paragraph (18); (2) by redesignating the paragraph relating to the Pony Express National Historic Trail as paragraph (19); and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(20) The American Discovery Trail, a trail of approximately 6,000 miles extending from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, extending westward through Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, where near Cincinnati it splits into two routes. The Northern Midwest route traverses Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado, and the Southern Midwest route traverses Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. After the two routes rejoin in Denver, Colorado, the route continues through Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The trail is generally described in Volume 2 of the National Park Service feasibility study dated June 1995 which shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the Director of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, the District of Columbia. The American Discovery Trail shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in cooperation with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization and other affected land managing agencies. No lands or interests outside the exterior boundaries of federally administered areas may be acquired by the Federal Government solely for the American Discovery Trail. This trail is specifically exempted from the provisions of sections 7(e), 7(f), and 7(g).''. (c) Comprehensive National Discovery Trail Plan.--Section 5 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1244) is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(h) Within three complete fiscal years after the date of enactment of any law designating a national discovery trail, the administering Federal agency shall enter into arrangements with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization to submit a comprehensive plan for the protection, management, development, and use of the trail, to the Committee on Resources of the United States House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United States Senate. The Secretary shall ensure that the comprehensive plan does not conflict with any existing agency direction and that the nonprofit organization consults with affected land managing agencies, the Governors of the affected States, county and local political jurisdictions, and local organizations maintaining components of the trail. Mandatory components of the comprehensive plan include-- ``(1) specific objectives and practices to be observed in the administration and management of the trail, including the identification of all significant natural, historical, and cultural resources to be preserved, model agreements necessary for joint trail administration among and between interested parties, and an identified carrying capacity of the trail and a plan for its implementation; ``(2) a trail protection plan to preserve the values for which the trail is being established and recognized by the Federal Government; ``(3) general and site-specific development plans including anticipated costs; and ``(4) the process to be followed by the nonprofit organization, in cooperation with the appropriate Secretary, to implement the trail marking authorities in section 7(c) conforming to approved trail logo or emblem requirements.''. SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. The National Trails System Act is amended-- (1) in section 2(b) (16 U.S.C. 1241(b)), by striking ``scenic and historic'' and inserting ``scenic, historic, and discovery''; (2) in the section heading to section 5 (16 U.S.C. 1244), by striking ``and national historic'' and inserting ``, national historic, and national discovery''; (3) in section 5(a) (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)), in the matter preceding paragraph (1)-- (A) by striking ``and national historic'' and inserting ``, national historic, and national discovery''; and (B) by striking ``and National Historic'' and inserting ``, National Historic, and National Discovery''; (4) in section 5(b) (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``or national historic'' and inserting ``, national historic, or national discovery''; (5) in section 5(b)(3) (16 U.S.C. 1244(b)(3)), by striking ``or national historic'' and inserting ``, national historic, or national discovery''; (6) in section 7(a)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1246(a)(2)), by striking ``and national historic'' and inserting ``, national historic, and national discovery''; (7) in section 7(b) (16 U.S.C. 1246(b)), by striking ``or national historic'' each place such term appears and inserting ``, national historic, or national discovery''; (8) in section 7(c) (16 U.S.C. 1246(c))-- (A) by striking ``scenic or national historic'' each place it appears and inserting ``scenic, national historic, or national discovery''; (B) in the second proviso, by striking ``scenic, or national historic'' and inserting ``scenic, national historic, or national discovery''; and (C) by striking ``, and national historic'' and inserting ``, national historic, and national discovery''; (9) in section 7(d) (16 U.S.C. 1246(d)), by striking ``or national historic'' and inserting ``national historic, or national discovery''; (10) in section 7(e) (16 U.S.C. 1246(e)), by striking ``or national historic'' each place such term appears and inserting ``, national historic, or national discovery''; (11) in section 7(f)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1246(f)(2)), by striking ``National Scenic or Historic'' and inserting ``national scenic, historic, or discovery trail''; (12) in section 7(h)(1) (16 U.S.C. 1246(h)(1)), by striking ``or national historic'' and inserting ``national historic, or national discovery''; and (13) in section 7(i) (16 U.S.C. 1246(i)), by striking ``or national historic'' and inserting ``national historic, or national discovery''.
summary: National Discovery Trails Act of 1997 - Amends the National Trails System Act (the Act) to provide for the establishment, as components of the National Trails System, of national discovery trails which shall be extended, continuous interstate trails located so as to provide for outdoor recreation and travel and to connect representative examples of America's trails and communities. Prohibits a trail from being considered feasible and desirable for designation as a national discovery trail unless it: (1) links to one or more areas within the boundaries of a metropolitan area and joins with other trails, tying the National Trails System to significant recreation and resources areas; (2) is supported by a competent trailwide nonprofit organization and has extensive local and trailwide support by the public, user groups, and affected State and local governments; and (3) extends and passes through more than one State and, at a minimum, is a continuous, walkable route. Requires the appropriate Secretary for each national discovery trail to administer the trail in cooperation with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization. Designates as a national discovery trail the 6,000-mile American Discovery Trail which shall extend from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, traveling northern and southern routes from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Denver, Colorado. Requires the administering Federal agency, within three complete fiscal years after designation of a national discovery trail, to enter into arrangements with a competent trailwide nonprofit organization to submit to specified congressional committees a comprehensive plan for the protection, management, development, and use of the trail.