PUBLIC LAW 100-470—OCT. 4, 1988 Public Law 100-470 100th Congress
102 STAT. 2281
An Act
To amend the National Trails System Act to provide for cooperation with State and local governments for the improved management of certain Federal lands, 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 "National Trails System Improvements Act of 1988". SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress hereby finds that— (1) State and local governments have a special role to play under the National Trails System Act in acquiring and developing trails for recreation and conservation purposes. (2) Many miles of public land rights-of-way have been granted to the railroads by the United States, and much of this mileage could be suitable for trail use at such time as it may be abandoned. (3) The United States should retain any residual interest it may have in such public land rights-of-way and relinquish it, where appropriate, in favor of State and local governments or other nonprofit entities for trail purposes.
Oct. 4, 1988 [S. 1544]
National Trails System Improvements Act of 1988. Conservation. Public lands. Recreation. 16 USC 1241 note. 16 USC 1248 note.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT AMENDMENTS.
Section 9 of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1248) is amended by adding the following new subsections after subsection (b): "(c) Commencing upon the date of enactment of this subsection, any and all right, title, interest, and estate of the United States in all rights-of-way of the type described in the Act of March 8, 1922 (43 U.S.C. 912), shall remain in the United States upon the abandonment or forfeiture of such rights-of-way, or portions thereof, except to the extent that any such right-of-way, or portion thereof, is embraced within a public highway no later than one year after a determination of abandonment or forfeiture, as provided under such Act. "(d)(1) All rights-of-way, or portions thereof, retained by the United States pursuant to subsection (c) which are located within the boundaries of a conservation system unit or a National Forest shall be added to and incorporated within such unit or National Forest and managed in accordance with applicable provisions of law, including this Act. "(2) All such retained rights-of-way, or portions thereof, which are located outside the boundaries of a conservation system unit or a National Forest but adjacent to or contiguous with any portion of the public lands shall be managed pursuant to the Federal Land
Highways.
National Forest System.
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