On Tuesday, May 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Rick Nolan’s bipartisan North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act (H.R. 1026). The measure revises the authorized route of the North Country National Scenic Trail – extending it to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and modifying the route in northeastern Minnesota.
Specifically this legislation will officially incorporate about 400 miles of world class Minnesota hiking trails that have been unofficially recognized as part of the North Country Trail System for years.
The bill will also reroute parts of the trail system to skirt 100 miles of environmentally sensitive wetlands and bogs that had precluded the trail from being completed.
Also included is an extension of the North Country Trail into Vermont to meet the great Appalachian Scenic Trail as originally envisioned.
“This bill is also about growing our economy with good paying jobs,” Nolan said. “The American Hiking Association has determined that when all the dollars spent on trail recreation work through the economy, the multiplier effect reaches $196 billion dollars a year – supporting about 768,000 good paying local jobs nationwide.”
Nolan added, “Along with good paying jobs, there’s also an enormous good health factor – especially for our children. According to one study, every day the average kid in America spends 7 minutes outside, and 7 hours in front of a computer or T.V. screen. So getting outside on these trails is good for everyone’s physical and mental health – kids and adults alike.
With the modifications included in Nolan’s bill, the North Country National Scenic Trail will extend nearly 4,600 miles from North Dakota to Vermont crossing through eight states.
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