H.R. 2768 Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025, as amended, has passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The amendment requires the feasibility study to be completed within two years. (The Senate version required a one-year study.)
This is another step forward towards permanent protection for the 288-mile Benton MacKaye Trail. The bill, sponsored by Reps. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tennessee), Steve Cohen (D-Georgia), Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina) and Lucy McBath (D-Georgia) passed the committee by unanimous consent. The Senate now will need to approve the amended version of the bill.
Nearly one-third of the Benton MacKaye Trail lies within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, making it the longest continuous trail within the park. It connects numerous wilderness areas including the Cohutta, Big Frog and Joyce-Kilmer/Slickrock Wildernesses.