Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act
This bill designates the Route 66 corridor as a National Historic Trail under the National Trails System Act, creating the Route 66 National Historic Trail. It preserves roughly 2,400 miles of the historic U.S. Highway 66 route from Chicago to Santa Monica (as depicted on a specific map) and directs the Department of the Interior to administer the trail in a way that honors its unique character. Key protections limit land acquisition, prohibit eminent domain, and require tribal consultation, while clarifying that the designation does not place Route 66 lands into the National Park System or impose new permit requirements or barriers to energy development. The package emphasizes a public, map-backed, government-administered recognition of Route 66’s historic and cultural value, with input from affected Native American tribes.
Key Points
- 1designation: Establishes the Route 66 National Historic Trail under the National Trails System Act, covering about 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, aligned with the historic 1926–1985 Route 66.
- 2map and administration: The trail route is shown on a map (Route 66 National Historic Trail, Proposed Route) dated December 2017, with the map available for public inspection at the Department of the Interior; the Secretary of the Interior will administer the trail and must consult with affected Indian Tribes as required by law and policy.
- 3land and buffer protections: The United States may not acquire land outside federally managed areas without owner consent, and no more than an average of 1/4 mile on either side of the trail may be acquired; no buffer zone is created beyond the designated corridor, and activities outside the trail are not automatically constrained by the designation.
- 4limitations on impact and eminent domain: The designation shall not impede energy development, production, transportation, or transmission; Eminent domain or condemnation cannot be used to acquire trail land.
- 5park system and permits: The designation does not convert Route 66 or its lands into lands in the National Park System for Mineral Leasing Act purposes, and it does not create new federal permit or authorization requirements beyond existing authorities; existing rights-of-way and easements remain governed by current law.