Reference Manual 45 National Trails System Chapters 1 through 10 & Appendices January, 2019 Approved by: - --=.:::..:.;:.:; nt Director for Partnerships and Civic Engagement, National Park Service UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE This page intentionally blank. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The National Trails System .................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 National Scenic Trails ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 National Historic Trails ................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.3 National Recreation Trails and Connecting and Side Trails ...................................................... 4 1.3 Evolution of a National Trail ................................................................................................................. 5 1.3.1 Conception ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1.3.2 Feasibility ........................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3.3 Birth (as a Federallyestablished trail) ............................................................................................. 6 1.3.4 Infancy ................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.3.5 Childhood and Adolescence ........................................................................................................... 7 1.3.6 Maturity ............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................... 8 1.4.1 Terms .................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.4.2 Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................. 11 1.5 Further Reference .................................................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER 2 – AUTHORITIES ..................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 The National Trails System Act ........................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Delegations of Authority to Federal Agencies ................................................................................... 14 2.3 Agency Organic Acts ............................................................................................................................. 14 2.3.1 National Park Service ..................................................................................................................... 14 2.3.2 Bureau of Land Management........................................................................................................ 15 2.3.3 USDA Forest Service ...................................................................................................................... 15 iii 2.4 Limitations of Authority ....................................................................................................................... 16 2.5 Jurisdiction of the Code of Federal Regulations .................................................................................. 16 2.6 Regulations ............................................................................................................................................. 16 2.7 Policy ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.8 Further Reference .................................................................................................................................. 18 CHAPTER 3 – ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT ................................................................. 21 3.1 Roles and Functions .............................................................................................................................. 21 3.1.1 Within the Administering Federal Agency .................................................................................. 21 3.1.2 Outside the Administering Agency ............................................................................................... 26 3.2 Operational consistency ....................................................................................................................... 28 3.3 Status of Trails Within the Administering Agencies ......................................................................... 28 3.4 Status of Trail Administrators .............................................................................................................. 29 3.5 Location of Administering Offices and Field Offices ....................................................................... 29 3.6 Jurisdictional Overlap ........................................................................................................................... 29 3.7 Funding ................................................................................................................................................... 30 3.8 Further Reference .................................................................................................................................. 33 CHAPTER 4 – PARTNERSHIPS .................................................................................................................. 34 4.1 Interagency Coordination .................................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Coordination with States and Their Political Subdivisions ............................................................. 35 4.3 Advisory Councils .................................................................................................................................. 35 4.4 Partner Organizations ........................................................................................................................... 39 4.5 Links with American Indian Groups ................................................................................................... 40 4.6 Incentives and Principles ...................................................................................................................... 40 4.7 Cooperative Management System ....................................................................................................... 41 4.8 Cooperative Agreements and Similar Instruments ........................................................................... 42 4.9 Fostering Volunteers ............................................................................................................................. 42 iv 4.10 Certification of Sites and Segments ................................................................................................... 43 4.11 Technical Assistance and Research ................................................................................................... 47 4.12 Training ................................................................................................................................................. 47 4.13 Conflict Resolution ............................................................................................................................. 48 4.14 Further reference ................................................................................................................................. 49 CHAPTER 5 – PLANNING, COMPLIANCE, AND LIABILITY ............................................................ 52 5.1 Studies and Plans for National Trails .................................................................................................. 52 5.2 Legal Compliance .................................................................................................................................. 56 5.3 Related Agency Plans ............................................................................................................................ 57 5.4 Local Trail Planning .............................................................................................................................. 58 5.5 Consistency with Other Plans .............................................................................................................. 59 5.6 Major Trail Relocations ........................................................................................................................ 59 5.7 Connecting and Side Trails .................................................................................................................