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S. 4538

BillFederalSenateIn Committee
A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating Washington's Trail-1753 as a national historic trail, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · May 14, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced
May 14, 2026
Cosponsors (5)
2D 3R
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Summary

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This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to study whether a roughly 500-mile route known as Washington's Trail—1753 should be officially designated as a national historic trail. The route traces the path George Washington traveled from Williamsburg, Virginia, to Fort LeBoeuf (near present-day Waterford, Pennsylvania) during his 1753-1754 diplomatic mission to the French on behalf of Virginia's colonial governor, a journey that occurred just before the outbreak of the French and Indian War. The legislation amends the National Trails System Act to add this route to the list of trails eligible for feasibility review, a standard step required before Congress can consider formal national historic trail status. The bill primarily affects communities and landowners along the historic route through Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, as well as historians and heritage tourism organizations interested in preserving this piece of colonial American history. No specific funding amounts or study completion deadlines are specified in the bill text itself, as those details would typically follow standard National Park Service study procedures once the amendment takes effect.

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