HR 2768: Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2026

HR 2768 in plain English: This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to study whether the Benton MacKaye Trail, which runs through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, should be designated as a national scenic trail.

Stated purpose

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to study whether the Benton MacKaye Trail, a roughly 287-mile nonmotorized trail crossing Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, should be designated as a national scenic trail.

Key points

• Directs the Department of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye Trail.
• The trail spans three states: Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
• Study would assess whether the trail qualifies for national scenic trail designation.

Arguments supporters make

• A formal feasibility study is a low-cost, responsible first step that gathers facts before committing to full designation, ensuring any future decision is well-informed.
• National scenic trail status could bring increased federal support, better trail maintenance, and more visitors to rural communities in three states.
• The Benton MacKaye Trail is already a significant long-distance nonmotorized trail, and a study simply evaluates whether it meets the standards Congress has set for similar trails.

Arguments opponents make

• Even a feasibility study consumes federal staff time and taxpayer money, and critics may question whether this trail rises to the level of national priority compared to other needs.
• Designating trails as national scenic trails can lead to increased federal oversight and land-use restrictions that affect private landowners and local communities near the trail.
• A feasibility study often builds momentum toward full designation, so some see it as the first step in a process that may expand the federal footprint in land management without sufficient local input.

Tradeoffs

Conducting the study uses federal resources and could set the trail on a path toward national designation, which may bring benefits like funding and visibility but could also mean more federal involvement in land along the trail corridor.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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