16 U.S.C. § 1243 — National recreation trails; establishment and designation; prerequisites

(a) The Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Agriculture when the lands are administered by that Secretary, may establish and designate national recreation trails if the Federal agency, State^*, or local government that controls the land consents. The Secretary must find that the trail is reasonably accessible to urban areas or meets this chapter’s criteria and any additional criteria the Secretary prescribes.

(b) Trails in parks, forests, recreation areas, and other federally administered areas may be established and designated as “National Recreation Trails” by the appropriate Secretary. If no Federal land must be acquired, the Secretary may designate: (i) trails in or reasonably accessible to urban areas, with the consent of the States, their local governments, or other appropriate administering agencies; (ii) trails in State-owned or State-administered parks, forests, and recreation areas, with the State’s consent; and (iii) trails on private land, with the written consent of the property owner.