HR 3451119th CongressIn Committee

To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Introduced: May 15, 2025

Environment & ClimateInfrastructure

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill aims to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study on designating the Bonneville Shoreline Trail as part of the National Trails System. The introduced text adds a new entry to the Act’s list of trails (Section 5(c)) and describes the Bonneville Shoreline Trail as roughly 280 miles of trails and potential trails running from the Idaho-Utah border to Nephi, Utah, following the historic Lake Bonneville’s Bonneville bench. In practice, this positions the Bonneville Shoreline Trail for consideration for designation under the national trails program, with the feasibility study framing the path forward, though the bill text itself does not specify a timeline or funding for the study.

Key Points

1Adds a new entry (50) to Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act to recognize the Bonneville Shoreline Trail within the act’s framework for possible designation.
2Provides a route description: a system of trails and potential trails extending about 280 miles from the Idaho-Utah border to Nephi, Utah, following the Bonneville bench created by historic Lake Bonneville.
3The bill’s title indicates it directs a feasibility study on whether to designate the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, signaling potential future federal designation and related planning.
4The sponsor is Rep. Kennedy of Utah; introduced May 15, 2025 and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
5The textual change places the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the catalog of trails eligible for designation under the National Trails System Act, enabling consideration of study, standards, and management responsibilities that accompany designation processes.

Impact Areas

Primary affected group/area: Recreation users and stewards along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Utah (hikers, runners, cyclists, equestrians) and local governments and land managers along the route (federal, state, and local agencies in Idaho and Utah where the trail corridor exists).Secondary affected group/area: Local landowners and communities along the 280-mile corridor; tourism and outdoor recreation economies that could benefit from national designation and associated funding or branding.Additional impacts: If designated in the future, the trail would fall under the National Trails System, potentially guiding management, conservation, right-of-way coordination, and funding opportunities; coordination across multiple jurisdictions (federal, state, tribal, and local) would be involved, given the trail’s length and cross-jurisdictional route. The bill does not specify costs, timelines, or regulatory changes beyond adding the trail to the list of candidate trails.

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