Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3720 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3720

To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the 
 Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bay 
     Area Ridge as a national scenic trail, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 28, 2026

  Mr. Schiff introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the 
 Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bay 
     Area Ridge as a national scenic trail, 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 ``Bay Area Ridge National Scenic Trail 
Feasibility Study Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that the Bay Area Ridge Trail--
            (1) is a scenic nonmotorized multi-use trail that extends 
        approximately 550 miles;
            (2) consists of approximately 415 completed miles and 
        another approximately 140 miles of the route that are not yet 
        completed;
            (3) is located near urban areas of the United States;
            (4) allows people to access the scenic ridgelines of the 
        San Francisco Bay Area;
            (5) provides maximum outdoor recreation potential to a 
        large, diverse population and many year-round visitors to the 
        San Francisco Bay Area;
            (6) provides for the enjoyment of nationally significant 
        scenic, historic, and cultural qualities, including the Pacific 
        Ocean, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and State and 
        local parks, among others;
            (7) passes through diverse environments, including marsh, 
        grassland, mountain, canyon, rivers, and forests;
            (8) includes landforms that exhibit significant 
        characteristics, including the Golden Gate Bridge, the San 
        Andreas fault, volcanic areas, geologic formations, and 
        wetlands; and
            (9) connects with side trails and regional connector 
        trails, such as the Bay Trail, Vine Trail, and Coyote Creek 
        Trail, which provide additional public access and connect to 
        major population centers.

SEC. 3. BAY AREA RIDGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY.

    Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(c)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(50) Bay area ridge national scenic trail.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Bay Area Ridge National 
                Scenic Trail, a multi-use trail extending approximately 
                550 miles along the ridgelines of the hills and 
                mountains surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area in 
                northern California and connecting over 75 parks and 
                open spaces.
                    ``(B) Study.--Notwithstanding subsection (b), not 
                later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
                paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior, in 
                consultation with interested organizations (including 
                the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council), shall complete and 
                submit to Congress the feasibility study for 
                designating the Bay Area Ridge Trail as a national 
                scenic trail.
                    ``(C) Consultation.--The study under this paragraph 
                shall be conducted in consultation with each Federal 
                agency and State agency that administers land through 
                which the trail described in subparagraph (A) 
                passes.''.
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