# 119-s-2708: Appalachian Trail Centennial Act

119-s-2708, Appalachian Trail Centennial Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2708
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2708
- Congress: 119
- Title: Appalachian Trail Centennial Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-09-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Would strengthen cooperative management for the Appalachian Trail and other national scenic and historic trails.** This bill would set rules for designated operational partners, clarify volunteer and federal roles, require segment-by-segment planning, and authorize funding to support planning and development through FY2026–FY2031. - Families, visitors, and gateway communities would see more local planning and data. The bill would require visitor‑capacity limits by trail segment and ask agencies to identify methods to measure economic impact within 3 years and at least every 5 years. - Volunteer groups and nonprofits would gain formal roles and protections. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy must be named the Designated Operational Partner within 1 year if criteria are met, and eligible partners must meet 501(c) nonprofit and financial standards. - Trail protection and enforcement would get new tools. Designated partners must submit proposed priority lists for land protection and may request Federal investigation of trespass or violations, with agency and U.S. Attorney response timelines of about 60 and 150 days respectively.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (D-VA), 2026-07-29T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New rules for nonprofit trail partners: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would set rules for nonprofit Designated Operational Partners (DOPs). The Appalachian Trail Conservancy must be designated as the DOP for the Appalachian Trail within one year. Eligible DOPs must be 501(c) tax‑exempt groups with trail experience and sound financial practices. D…
- Official status and key definitions: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would set clear definitions for terms like 'covered trail', 'operation', 'visitor capacity', 'Designated Operational Partner', and 'volunteer organization'. It would also make each covered trail an official unit of the National Trails System and assign each to a federally admin…
- Trail planning, visitor limits, and funding: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would require the Interior and Agriculture Secretaries to pick methods to measure trail economic impact within three years and update them at least every five years. The Secretaries must send two joint reports to Congress: one within three years on planning successes and challe…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act
- 119-s-3524: American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2025
- 119-s-1639: American Innovation and Jobs Act
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-847: Child Care Availability and Affordability Act

## Sources
- [119-s-2708 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2708)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [119-s-3524: American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3524)
- [119-s-1639: American Innovation and Jobs Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1639)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-847: Child Care Availability and Affordability Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-847)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2708 (as of 2026-09-10).