Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110
§1247 State and Local Area Recreation and Historic Trails
Title 16 › CHAPTER 27 — NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM › § 1247
Summary
The law tells the Secretary of the Interior to ask States to include park, forest, recreation, and historic trails in their statewide outdoor recreation and historic preservation plans and funding requests. It also says the Interior Secretary must encourage State and local governments, nonprofits, and private groups to create those trails. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development must push for trails to be part of city and metro recreation and transportation planning and the urban open‑space program (Housing Acts of 1954 and 1961). The Agriculture Secretary must also promote trail creation by States, local agencies, and private groups. The Secretary of Transportation, the chair of the Surface Transportation Board, and the Interior Secretary must support using unused railroad rights‑of‑way temporarily for trails under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976. If a trail use is temporary and the track might be restored, that use will not count as giving up the rail corridor. If a State, local government, or qualified private group agrees to manage the corridor, accept liability, and pay taxes, the Board will set terms for the transfer and will not allow abandonment that disrupts the corridor. States or local agencies can name and mark these trails as part of the national trails system with the Interior Secretary’s approval.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §1247
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Secretary of the Interior to encourage States, political subdivisions, and private interests; financial assistance for State and local projects
The Secretary of the Interior is directed to encourage States to consider, in their comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plans and proposals for financial assistance for State and local projects submitted pursuant to chapter 2003 of title 54, needs and opportunities for establishing park, forest, and other recreation and historic trails on lands owned or administered by States, and recreation and historic trails on lands in or near urban areas. The Secretary is also directed to encourage States to consider, in their comprehensive statewide historic preservation plans and proposals for financial assistance for State, local, and private projects submitted pursuant to division A of subtitle III of title 54, needs and opportunities for establishing historic trails. He is further directed, in accordance with the authority contained in chapter 2003 of title 54), to encourage States, political subdivisions, and private interests, including nonprofit organizations, to establish such trails.
(b)Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to encourage metropolitan and other urban areas; administrative and financial assistance in connection with recreation and transportation planning; administration of urban open-space program
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is directed, in administering the program of comprehensive urban planning and assistance under section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954, to encourage the planning of recreation trails in connection with the recreation and transportation planning for metropolitan and other urban areas. He is further directed, in administering the urban open-space program under title VII of the Housing Act of 1961 [42 U.S.C. 1500 et seq.], to encourage such recreation trails.
(c)Secretary of Agriculture to encourage States, local agencies, and private interests
The Secretary of Agriculture is directed, in accordance with authority vested in him, to encourage States and local agencies and private interests to establish such trails.
(d)Interim use of railroad rights-of-way
The Secretary of Transportation, the Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board, and the Secretary of the Interior, in administering the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (45 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) and chapter 224 of title 49, shall encourage State and local agencies and private interests to establish appropriate trails using the provisions of such programs. Consistent with the purposes of that Act, and in furtherance of the national policy to preserve established railroad rights-of-way for future reactivation of rail service, to protect rail transportation corridors, and to encourage energy efficient transportation use, in the case of interim use of any established railroad rights-of-way pursuant to donation, transfer, lease, sale, or otherwise in a manner consistent with this chapter, if such interim use is subject to restoration or reconstruction for railroad purposes, such interim use shall not be treated, for purposes of any law or rule of law, as an abandonment of the use of such rights-of-way for railroad purposes. If a State, political subdivision, or qualified private organization is prepared to assume full responsibility for management of such rights-of-way and for any legal liability arising out of such transfer or use, and for the payment of any and all taxes that may be levied or assessed against such rights-of-way, then the Board shall impose such terms and conditions as a requirement of any transfer or conveyance for interim use in a manner consistent with this chapter, and shall not permit abandonment or discontinuance inconsistent or disruptive of such use.
(e)Designation and marking of trails; approval of Secretary of the Interior
Such trails may be designated and suitably marked as parts of the nationwide system of trails by the States, their political subdivisions, or other appropriate administering agencies with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954, referred to in subsec. (b), was classified to section 461 of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 313(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 398. The Housing Act of 1961, referred to in subsec. (b), is Pub. L. 87–70, June 30, 1961, 75 Stat. 149. Title VII of the Housing Act of 1961 was classified generally to chapter 8C (§ 1500 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and was omitted from the Code pursuant to section 5316 of Title 42 which terminated authority to make grants or loans under such title VII after Jan. 1, 1975. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 1701 of Title 12, Banks and Banking, and Tables. The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 94–210, Feb. 5, 1976, 90 Stat. 31. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 801 of Title 45, Railroads, and Tables.
Amendments
2021—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–58 inserted “(45 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) and chapter 224 of title 49” after “Reform Act of 1976”. 2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–287 substituted “chapter 2003 of title 54” for “the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act”, “division A of subtitle III of title 54” for “the Act of
October 15, 1966 (80 Stat. 915), as amended”, and “chapter 2003 of title 54” for “the Act of
May 28, 1963 (77 Stat. 49”. 1995—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–88 substituted “Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board” for “Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission” and “the Board” for “the Commission”. 1983—Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 98–11, § 208(2), added subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e). 1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–625 inserted “and historic” after “establishing park, forest, and other recreation” and “administered by States, and recreation”, and directed the Secretary to encourage States to consider in their plans and proposals the needs and opportunities for establishing historic trails.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1995 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–88 effective Jan. 1, 1996, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1301 of Title 49, Transportation.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 1247
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110