The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act aims to complete and improve the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail within 10 years through a joint effort between the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, collaboration with stakeholders, and the development of a comprehensive plan, without granting new land acquisition authorities.
Martin Heinrich
Senator
NM
The "Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act" aims to finish the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail within 10 years through a joint effort by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. This includes forming a Trail Completion Team to coordinate trail improvements, create a comprehensive development plan, and collaborate with various stakeholders. The Act emphasizes using voluntary easements to address trail gaps and partnering with volunteer groups, while ensuring no new land acquisition authorities are created.
Bill Targets 10-Year Finish Line for Continental Divide Trail, Creates Dedicated Team
This legislation, the 'Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Completion Act,' sets a clear goal: finish the massive Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) within ten years, assuming the necessary funding comes through. To make this happen, it mandates the creation of a dedicated joint team from the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management within one year. Their job is to coordinate the effort to finally connect the dots on this iconic trail.
Plotting the Path Forward
The core of the plan involves creating a detailed roadmap. Within three years of forming, the new Trail Completion Team must deliver a 'comprehensive development plan.' Think of this as the master strategy document. It needs to pinpoint exactly where the gaps in the trail still exist, especially where buying land hasn't worked out. A key part of this planning is exploring the use of 'easements' – essentially, legal agreements with landowners who are willing to let the trail cross their property without the government actually buying the land outright. The plan also has to lay out specific steps for developing the trail sections and estimate how much it will all cost.
Teamwork and Boundaries
Completing a trail this long isn't just a government job. The bill explicitly directs federal agencies to team up with volunteer groups and non-profits, recognizing the crucial role they often play in building and maintaining trails. Importantly, the act includes a section (Sec. 7) clarifying its own limits. It doesn't give the government any new powers to acquire land, specifically ruling out new authority for eminent domain (taking private property for public use, with compensation). It relies on the existing rules laid out in the National Trails System Act and emphasizes working with willing sellers for things like easements. This means the trail's completion hinges significantly on collaboration and voluntary agreements, not just government action.