Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study Act of 2025

This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a feasibility study for designating the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail. The 287-mile trail, which runs through Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina across federal lands and protected areas, directly affects the communities along its route and the Benton MacKaye Trail Association. The study must be completed within one year of the bill's enactment, assessing factors like the trail's current maintenance (95% on federal land, managed since 1980 by a nonprofit) and its economic benefits to rural areas. It does not designate the trail as a National Scenic Trail, only authorizes a study to determine if that step is appropriate.