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Week Ending November 17, 2006

 

H.R.3085 To amend the National Trails System Act to update the feasibility and suitability study originally prepared for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail and provide for the inclusion of new trail segments, land components, and campgrounds associated with that trail, and for other purposes.

 

This bill would deal with an embarrassing and tragic moment in US history when the federal government attempting to buffer the colonies from British and Spanish land holdings in the West by moving hundreds of thousands of Native Americans from mostly the southern states to western reserves. The deed was anointed by Congress when it passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830 to relocate the remaining tribes in a forced march of 100,000 resulting in the death of thousands.

 

The 800 mile march to Okalahoma from Arkansas, Florida and Georgia was called the Trail of Tears by the Cherokee Indians. In 1987 Congress established the Trail of Tears national Historic Trail

 

This bill presents the notion that it is somehow fitting to expand the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail by adding access routes and camp grounds. The bill would spend taxpayer dollars to consider the feasibility of adding two land routes that were part of the water routes in Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma, Georgia, North Carolina.

 

The Secretary of Interior would report to Congress within 6 months on the feasibility of the Trail enhancement.

 

The Senate amended the bill to prohibit additional funds from being appropriated for the feasibility study. The Secretary of Interior is authorized to accept donations to support the effort.

 

Sponsor: Rep Zach Wamp (R-TN-3rd)

Vote: Passed the House 356 to 5 July 17, 2006 (RC 375). Passed Senate amended by Unanimous Consent September 29, 2006. Passed House with Senate amendment 383 to 3, November 13, 2006 (RC 517).

Cost to the taxpayers: “CBO estimates that carrying out the required work would cost less than $100,000 over the next year. Enacting H.R. 3085 would not affect direct spending or revenues”

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