82 STAT. ]
PUBLIC LAW 90-543-OCT. 2, 1968
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Public Law 90-543 AN ACT
October 2, 1968
To establish a national trails system, and for other purposes.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives United States of America in Congress assembled,
of the
SHORT TITLE SECTION
1. This Act may be cited as the "National Trails System
Act". STATEMENT OF POLICY
SEC. 2. (a) In order to provide for the ever-increasing outdoor recreation needs of an expanding population and in order to promote public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas of the Nation, trails should be established (i) primarily, near the urban areas of the Nation, and (ii) secondarily, within established scenic areas more remotely located. (b) the purpose of this Act is to provide the means for attaining these objectives by instituting a national system of recreation and scenic trails, by designating the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail as the initial components of that system, and by prescribing the methods by which, and standards according to which, additional components may be added to the system. NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM
SEC. 3. The national system of trails shall be composed of— (a) National recreation trails, established as provided in section 4 of this Act, which will provide a variety of outd(M)r recreation uses in or reasonably accessible to urban areas. (b) National scenic trails, established as provided in section 5 of this Act, which will be extended trails so located as to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant scenic, historic, natural, or cultural qualities of the areas through which such trails may pass. (c) Connecting or side trails, established as provided in section 6 of this Act, which will provide additional points of public access to national recreation or national scenic trails or which will provide connections l^etween such trails. The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with appropriate governmental agencies and public and l)rivate organizations, shall establish a uniform marker for the national trails system. NATIONAL R E C R E A T I O N TRAILS
SEC. 4. (a) The Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Agriculture where lands administered by him are involved, may establish and designate national recreation trails, with the consent of the Federal agency. State, or political subdivision having jurisdiction over the lands involved, upon finding that— (i) such trails are reasonably accessible to urban areas, and, or (ii) such trails meet the criteria established in this Act and such supplementary criteria as he may prescribe. (b) As provided in this section, trails within park, forest, and other recreation areas administered by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture or in other federally administered areas may be established and designated as National Kecreation Trails by the
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National Trails System Act.
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