H.R. 845 — what changed
National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act
From Reported in House to Engrossed in House. 2 sections amended between Reported in House and Engrossed in House.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds as follows:
The National Forest System features a world-class trail system with over 157,000 miles of trails that provide world-class opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, hunting, mountain bicycling, motorized vehicles, and other outdoor activities.
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According to the Government Accountability Office, the Forest Service is only able to maintain about one-quarter of National Forest System trails to the agency standard, and the agency faces a trail maintenance backlog of $314,000,000, $314 million, and an additional backlog of $210,000,000 $210 million in annual maintenance, capital improvements, and operations.
The lack of maintenance on National Forest System trails threatens access to public lands, and may cause increased environmental damage, threaten public safety, and increase future maintenance costs.
Federal budget limitations require solutions to National Forest System trail maintenance issues that make more efficient use of existing resources.
Volunteers, partners, and outfitters and guides play an important role in maintaining National Forest System trails, and a comprehensive strategy is needed to ensure that volunteers and partners are used as effectively as possible.
Sec. 3 Definitions
In this Act:
Administrative unit— The term Administrative Unit means a national forest or national grassland.
Outfitter or guide— The term outfitter or guide means an individual, organization, or business who provides outfitting or guiding services, as defined in section 251.51 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations.
Partner— The term partner means a non-Federal entity that engages in a partnership.
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Partnership— The term partnership means arrangements between the Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service and a non-Federal entity that are voluntary, mutually beneficial, and entered into for the purpose of mutually agreed upon agreed-upon objectives.
Priority area— The term priority area means a well-defined region on National Forest System land selected by the Secretary under section 5(a).
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
Strategy— The term strategy means the National Forest System Trails Volunteer and Partnership Strategy authorized by section 4(a).
Trail maintenance— The term trail maintenance means any activity to maintain the usability and sustainability of trails within the National Forest System, including—
ensuring trails are passable by the users for which they are managed;
preventing environmental damage resulting from trail deterioration;
protecting public safety; and
averting future deferred maintenance costs.
Volunteer— The term “volunteer” means an individual whose services are accepted by the Secretary without compensation under the Volunteers in the National Forests Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 558a et seq.).