Bill orders study on national status for Benton MacKaye Trail
Placed on the calendarS. 1376Latest action
Sponsor: Thom Tillis · Senator · NC
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Official title: Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025
119th Congress
Topics: Environment & energy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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The bill requires a one-year federal study on whether the 287-mile Benton MacKaye Trail should become a national scenic trail.
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What does this do?
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study whether the Benton MacKaye Trail, a 287-mile hiking path through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, qualifies as a national scenic trail. The study must be completed and submitted to Congress within one year. The bill does not itself grant the designation.
Who does it affect?
The bill affects hikers, nearby rural communities that depend on tourism, the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, and land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service.
Why does it matter?
If the study eventually leads to national scenic trail designation, the trail could see increased federal funding, protections, and oversight, along with greater visibility and tourism. For now, the trail's legal status remains unchanged.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedApr 9, 2025
- Senate committee
- Senate voteYou are here · Oct 27, 2025
- House
- The president's desk
Right now: it was placed on the , and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 211.