New Bill Mandates Continental Divide Trail Completion Within 10 Years, But Only If Congress Pays Up

If you’ve ever dreamed of hiking the entire Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) and having a continuous path the whole way, this bill is for you. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act is exactly what it sounds like: a formal push to finally finish the last missing segments of the famous 3,100-mile trail that runs from Mexico to Canada.

The 10-Year Clock Starts Now (Sort Of)

This bill sets a hard deadline. Section 3 requires the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to ensure the Trail is a continuous path no later than 10 years after the Act is signed into law. That’s a big deal because it forces two major federal agencies—the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)—to finally coordinate and get this done. For hikers, this means the dream of a fully connected, official route is finally within reach. However, there’s a massive asterisk attached to that decade-long deadline: the work is only required “subject to the availability of appropriations.” Translation: Congress has to actually fork over the cash every year. If they don’t, the 10-year deadline is basically just a suggestion.

Meet the Trail Completion Team

To make sure this actually happens, Section 4 mandates the creation of a Trail Completion Team within one year. This joint team, made up of folks from the Forest Service and the BLM, is tasked with getting the trail finished and “optimized.” They aren't just going to wing it; they have to develop a comprehensive master blueprint. This is great news for efficiency, as it forces the agencies to work together instead of operating in separate silos.

The Master Plan: Finding the Missing Pieces

Within three years of the team forming, the Secretary must complete a comprehensive development plan (Section 5). This plan is the real engine of the bill. It has to specifically identify every single spot where the government hasn’t yet secured the land for the Trail. It also requires the team to explore using easements—agreements where a landowner lets the government use a strip of land for the trail without selling it outright—if the landowners are willing. This is important for private landowners along the route, as it emphasizes voluntary agreements over forced sales.

For a rancher whose property sits in a gap, this means the government will be knocking, but they won't be able to use eminent domain (a forced sale) any more than they could before. Section 7 is crystal clear: this Act does not give the government any new power to acquire land beyond what is already allowed under existing law. This is a crucial protection for property owners but also highlights the biggest practical challenge: securing those final, tricky segments through negotiation and voluntary purchase.

Who Gets a Seat at the Table?

This bill is big on consultation. The Trail Completion Team is required to talk to a huge list of stakeholders, including state, Tribal, and local governments, private landowners, and users of the land (Section 4). This means that local communities and Tribal authorities, who often have the best knowledge of the land and its history, will have a mandated voice in how the final route is designed and managed. For people who live near the Trail, this requirement ensures that the federal government can't just drop a new trail segment without local input.