An Act to Amend the National Trails System Act
Description:
In 1978, Congress amended the National Trails System Act to substantially increase the pace of land acquisition along the trail corridor. The Act appropriated $90 million in new funds for this purpose and led to the acquisition of private lands along more than 800 miles of the Trail.
The Act also instructed the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Appalachian Trail Conference, to submit "a comprehensive plan for the management, acquisition, development, and use of the Appalachian Trail." This plan was to include the "identification of all significant natural, historical, and cultural resources to be preserved." One consequence of this provision in the Act was the rerouting of the existing trail to new locations, such as McAfee Knob, that were deemed "significant" and worthy of preservation.