Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on Wednesday would reroute uncompleted sections of the North Country National Scenic Trail, which extends from New York to North Dakota.
Sections of the North Country National Scenic Trail were never built in Minnesota where wetlands and environmental concerns made construction problematic. Hoeven’s bill would reroute those sections using 400 miles of existing hiking trails in Minnesota.
The North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act, introduced by Hoeven and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would also extend the trail to Vermont to connect it with the Appalachian Trail.
“The North Country Scenic Trail provides hikers with access to some of the most beautiful landscapes in North Dakota and the northern United States,” Hoeven said. “This legislation improves the route and connects it to additional trails, which will help increase tourism and grow the local economies of the communities along the trail.”
Extending 4,600 miles, the North Country National Scenic Trail is the country’s longest hiking trail. It extends through 12 national forests and was mostly built by a network of volunteers.
“Minnesota’s Arrowhead region has some of the most beautiful trails in the country,” Klobuchar said. “By finally including the Arrowhead region on the trail, this legislation would boost tourism, benefit local businesses and allow people to share in our state’s natural beauty all while conserving our wetlands.”