HR 4566119th CongressIn Committee

Washington’s Trail—1753 National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025

Introduced: Jul 21, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16] (R-Pennsylvania)

Infrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would add a new requirement to the National Trails System Act: the Secretary of the Interior must conduct a feasibility study on designating “Washington’s Trail-1753” as a National Historic Trail. The proposed trail would run about 500 miles from Williamsburg, Virginia to Fort LeBoeuf (now Waterford), Pennsylvania, tracing the route Washington and his party took on a diplomatic mission to the French in late 1753 and early 1754. The act is titled the Washington’s Trail-1753 National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025. It was introduced in the House on July 21, 2025, by Rep. Kelly of Pennsylvania (joined by Rep. Deluzio) and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources. The bill does not designate the trail; it only commissions a feasibility study to determine whether designation as a National Historic Trail would be appropriate.

Key Points

1Short title: The act would be known as the Washington’s Trail-1753 National Historic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025.
2Legal mechanism: The bill amends Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act to add a new item (50) authorizing a feasibility study for Washington’s Trail-1753 as a National Historic Trail.
3Route and scope: The proposed feasibility study would consider designating a trail extending about 500 miles from Williamsburg, Virginia to Fort LeBoeuf (Waterford), Pennsylvania, following the route Washington and his party took on their diplomatic mission to the French from October 31, 1753, to January 16, 1754.
4Historical context: The route commemorates George Washington’s 18th-century diplomatic mission just prior to the French and Indian War.
5Status and sponsorship: Introduced in the House on July 21, 2025 by Rep. Kelly (PA) for himself and Rep. Deluzio; referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- The U.S. Department of the Interior, specifically the agency units involved with the National Trails System and potential future management of any designated National Historic Trail.- States and local governments along the 500-mile corridor (Virginia and Pennsylvania, plus any states or jurisdictions the route intersects) and landowners along the route who could be affected by future trail designation.Secondary group/area affected- Historians, cultural resource organizations, museums, and tourism/economic development stakeholders who would participate in or benefit from a potential future designation.- Native American tribes and other communities with historical or cultural ties to the route, as feasibility evaluations typically consider impacts on resources and community interests (though the bill text does not specify tribal consultation requirements).Additional impacts- If the feasibility study finds designation feasible, this could lead to future legislation to formally designate Washington’s Trail-1753 as a National Historic Trail, with implications for funding, land or water rights collaborations, signage, preservation, and tourism planning along the corridor. The current bill stops at directing the feasibility study and does not authorize or appropriate funds or establish management plans.

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