To amend the National Trails System Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to update the feasibility and suitability studies of four national historic trails, and for other purposes.

March 4, 2003

Mr. BEREUTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources

To amend the National Trails System Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to update the feasibility and suitability studies of four national historic trails, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Pioneer National Historic Trails Studies Act'.

SEC. 2. REVISION OF FEASIBILITY AND SUITABILITY STUDIES OF EXISTING NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILS.

The National Trails System Act is amended by inserting after section 5 (16 U.S.C. 1244) the following new section:

`SEC. 5A. REVISION OF FEASIBILITY AND SUITABILITY STUDIES OF EXISTING TRAILS FOR POSSIBLE TRAIL EXPANSION.

`(a) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) The term `route' includes a trail segment commonly known as a cutoff.

`(2) The term `shared route' means a route that was a segment of more than one historic trail, including a route shared with an existing national historic trail.

`(b) GENERAL RULES-

`(1) STUDY REQUIREMENTS AND OBJECTIVES- The study requirements and objectives specified in section 5(b) shall apply to a study required by this section.

`(2) COMPLETION AND SUBMISSION OF STUDY- Not later than three complete fiscal years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall complete and submit to Congress the studies required by subsections (c) through (g). In the case of a study added to this section after that date, the study shall be completed and submitted to Congress not later than three complete fiscal years after the date of the enactment of the law adding the study to this section.

`(c) OREGON NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL- The Secretary of the Interior shall undertake a study of certain routes of the Oregon Trail, as generally depicted on the map entitled `Western Emigrant Trails 1830/1870' and dated 1991/1993, and such other routes of the Oregon Trail that the Secretary considers appropriate, to determine the feasibility and suitability of designation of one or more of the routes as components of the Oregon National Historic Trail. The routes to be studied under this subsection include the following:

`(1) Whitman Mission route.

`(2) Upper Columbia River.

`(3) Cowlitz River route.

`(4) Meek cutoff.

`(5) Free Emigrant Road.

`(6) North Alternate Oregon Trail.

`(7) Goodale's cutoff.

`(8) North Side alternate route.

`(9) Cutoff to Barlow Road.

`(10) Naches Pass Trail.

`(d) PONY EXPRESS NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL- The Secretary of the Interior shall undertake a study of the approximately 20-mile southern alternative route of the Pony Express Trail from Wathena, Kansas, to Troy, Kansas, and such other routes of the Pony Express Trail that the Secretary considers appropriate, to determine the feasibility and suitability of designation of one or more of the routes as components of the Pony Express National Historic Trail.

`(e) CALIFORNIA NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL- The Secretary of the Interior shall undertake a study of certain Missouri Valley, central, and western routes of the California Trail, as generally depicted on the map entitled `Western Emigrant Trails 1830/1870' and dated 1991/1993, and such other and shared Missouri Valley, central, and western routes that the Secretary considers appropriate, to determine the feasibility and suitability of designation of one or more of the routes as components of the California National Historic Trail. The routes to be studied under this subsection include the following:

`(1) MISSOURI VALLEY ROUTES-

`(A) Blue Mills-Independence Road.

`(B) Westport Landing Road.

`(C) Westport-Lawrence Road.

`(D) Fort Leavenworth-Blue River route.

`(E) Road to Amazonia.

`(F) Union Ferry Route.

`(G) Old Wyoming-Nebraska City cutoff.

`(H) Lower Plattsmouth Route.

`(I) Lower Bellevue Route.

`(J) Woodbury cutoff.

`(K) Blue Ridge cutoff.

`(L) Westport Road.

`(M) Gum Springs-Fort Leavenworth route.

`(N) Atchison/Independence Creek routes.

`(O) Fort Leavenworth-Kansas River route.

`(P) Nebraska City cutoff routes.

`(Q) Minersville-Nebraska City Road.

`(R) Upper Plattsmouth route.

`(S) Upper Bellevue route.

`(2) CENTRAL ROUTES-

`(A) Cherokee Trail, including splits.

`(B) Weber Canyon route of Hastings cutoff.

`(C) Bishop Creek cutoff.

`(D) McAuley cutoff.

`(E) Diamond Springs cutoff.

`(F) Secret Pass.

`(G) Greenhorn cutoff.

`(H) Central Overland Trail.

`(3) WESTERN ROUTES-

`(A) Bidwell-Bartleson route.

`(B) Georgetown/Dagget Pass Trail.

`(C) Big Trees Road.

`(D) Grizzly Flat cutoff.

`(E) Nevada City Road.

`(F) Yreka Trail.

`(G) Henness Pass route.

`(H) Johnson cutoff.

`(I) Luther Pass Trail.

`(J) Volcano Road.

`(K) Sacramento-Coloma Wagon Road.

`(L) Burnett cutoff.

`(M) Placer County Road to Auburn.

`(f) MORMON PIONEER NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL- The Secretary of the Interior shall undertake a study of certain routes of the Mormon Pioneer Trail, as generally depicted on the map entitled `Western Emigrant Trails 1830/1870' and dated 1991/1993, and such other routes of the Mormon Pioneer Trail that the Secretary considers appropriate, to determine the feasibility and suitability of designation of one or more of the routes as components of the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. The routes to be studied under this subsection include the following:

`(1) 1846 Subsequent routes A and B (Lucas and Clarke Counties, Iowa).

`(2) 1856-57 Handcart route (Iowa City to Council Bluffs).

`(3) Keokuk route (Iowa).

`(4) 1847 Alternative Elkhorn and Loup River Crossings in Nebraska.

`(5) Fort Leavenworth Road, including the Ox Bow route and alternates in Kansas and Missouri (Oregon and California Trail routes used by Mormon emigrants).

`(6) 1850 Golden Pass Road in Utah.

`(g) SHARED CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL ROUTES- The Secretary of the Interior shall undertake a study of certain shared routes of the California Trail and Oregon Trail, as generally depicted on the map entitled `Western Emigrant Trails 1830/1870' and dated 1991/1993, and such other shared routes that the Secretary considers appropriate, to determine the feasibility and suitability of designation of one or more of the routes as shared components of the California National Historic Trail and the Oregon National Historic Trail. The routes to be studied under this subsection include the following:

`(1) St. Joe Road.

`(2) Council Bluffs Road.

`(3) Sublette cutoff.

`(4) Applegate route.

`(5) Old Fort Kearny Road (Oxbow Trail).

`(6) Childs cutoff.

`(7) Raft River to Applegate.'.

END