Members of a regional trail conservation association compared an appearance before a U.S. House subcommittee to a long hiker’s stride toward the rarefied federal designation of the Benton MacKaye Trail in the Appalachian Mountains as a National Scenic Trail.
Ken Cissna, the immediate past president and a board member of the Cherrylog, Georgia-based Benton MacKaye Trail Association, addressed the House Federal Lands Subcommittee on July 24 about a House act seeking a study on adding the namesake trail to the list of National Scenic Trails currently totaling 11.
While extolling the trail’s scenic, historic and recreational virtues, Cissna urged committee members to support a feasibility study en route to adopting the trail into the National Scenic Trail system, according to association officials and Cissna’s speech to the House subcommittee.
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Benton MacKaye Trail Association pushes for National Scenic Trail designation in congressional subcommittee
“We are seeking a feasibility study with a one-year deadline,” Cissna told members of the subcommittee. “Although this might appear to be an ambitious timeline, the trail was fully completed 20 years ago, has a strong volunteer nonprofit organization that manages and maintains it and has for over 40 years, and is very popular with hikers. The trail is extremely deserving of designation as a National Scenic Trail, and we are confident that the feasibility study will agree. It is reasonable for Congress to expect the study to be completed within a year after this legislation is approved.”
Previous bills filed in the House since 2021 directly sought the National Scenic Trail designation, but the association and its supporters decided to shift to a feasibility study to generate evidence in support of the designation and to potentially gain the attention of a sponsor in the Senate, association Vice President Claire Sullivan said when the feasibility study bill was introduced in May. Previous House bills didn’t pick up a Senate sponsor, but this year’s bill did.
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The Senate version introduced by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., authorizes a feasibility study and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. The House version of the bill was introduced by Reps. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, Chuck Fleischmann, R- Southeast Tennessee, Scott DesJarlais, R-Sherwood, Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., and Nikema Williams, D-Ga.. The House Federal Lands Subcommittee has not taken action since the July 24 hearing, and there has been no action on the Senate version of the bill since it was introduced in May.
Congress could “reasonably expect” the study to be completed within the yearlong window following the act’s approval, Cissna told committee members. Much of the work necessary to bring the path up to federal standards has been completed for years, making it ripe for inclusion in the federal system.
“The Benton MacKaye Trail is a vital natural and economic resource that warrants national recognition and protection,” he told the committee. “Its historical significance, economic impact and the numerous benefits it provides to communities and individuals make a compelling case for its designation as a National Scenic Trail. I urge the committee to support this designation, ensuring the long-term protection of the Benton MacKaye Trail as a cherished part of our national heritage.”
The 288-mile Benton MacKaye Trail traces an 82-mile path in Georgia and 206 miles more along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, including lands in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia and Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, according to the association. Almost 100 miles of the trail is contained within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina.
“The Benton MacKaye Trail Association is another step closer towards achieving their goal of having the Benton MacKaye Trail designated a National Scenic Trail,” Joy Forehand, spokesperson for the association, said in a statement on the hearing. “Even more outdoor enthusiasts will view the Benton MacKaye Trail as a ‘must-do trek,’ resulting in a substantial increase in economic activity.”
National Scenic Trails
National Scenic Trails are primarily nonmotorized, continuous trails, and most extend for 100 miles or more. The routes traverse beautiful terrain and connect communities, significant landmarks and public lands.
— Appalachian Trail: 2,190 miles through 14 states from Georgia to Maine
— Arizona Scenic Trail: 800 miles in Arizona
— Continental Divide National Scenic Trail: 3,100 miles through five states from New Mexico to Montana
— Florida National Scenic Trail: 1,300 miles in Florida
— Ice Age National Scenic Trail: 1,000 miles in Wisconsin
— Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail: 65 miles in Mississippi
— New England Trail: 215 miles in Connecticut and Massachusetts
— North Country National Scenic Trail: 4,600 miles through eight states from New York to North Dakota
— Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail: 2,650 miles in California, Oregon, Washington
— Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail: 1,200 miles in Idaho, Montana, Washington
— Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail: 710 miles in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Source: National Park Service
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.