[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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