,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ghgh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #cj1 #bjbj,ms4 
,kuster of ,new ,hampshire 7for herself1
 ,mr4 ,neal1 ,mr4 ,malinowski1 ,mr4     
,raskin1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 and ,mr4      
,ruiz7 introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,energy and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
bolster evaluation procedures in        
consideration of interstate natural gas 
pipelines in relation to ,national      
,scenic ,trails1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,scenic ,trail ,viewshed   
,protection ,act4  #b4 ,finding         
,congress finds that-- 7#a7 prior to    
issuing a certificate of public         
convenience and necessity under section 
#g of the ,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae       
,u4,s4,c4 #gag;f7 with respect to a     
pipeline for the transportation of      
natural gas that will cross a national  
scenic trail established under section  
#e of the ,national ,trails ,system ,act

 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #abdd71 the ,federal    
,energy ,regulatory ,commission should  
specifically consider the conservation  
and recreation value of the land        
impacted2 and  7#b7 if such certificate1
 or an action taken pursuant to such    
certificate1 is under court review1 the 
court should consider the loss of any   
natural1 cultural1 scenic1 and          
recreational values in determining      
whether an overriding public need for   
such pipeline exists4  #c4 ,certificates
 for pipelines that intersect national  
scenic trails  7a7 ,applicability  7#a7 
,pipeline ,this section applies with    
respect to a pipeline for the           
transportation of natural gas that      
will-- 7,a7 intersect a trail described 
in paragraph 7#b72 or  7,b7 affect the  
surrounding radius of the viewshed of a 
trail described in paragraph 7#b71 as   
determined as the result of a viewshed  
analysis performed and submitted to the 
,federal ,energy ,regulatory ,commission
 by the administering agency of the     

trail or its cooperative agreement      
designated partner4  7#b7 ,trail ,a     
trail described in this paragraph is a  
national scenic trail established under 
section #e of the ,national ,trails     
,system ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #abdd74  7b7
 ,determination ,the ,federal ,energy   
,regulatory ,commission may issue a     
certificate of public convenience and   
necessity under section #g of the       
,natural ,gas ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4       
#gag;f7 for a pipeline described in     
subsection 7a77#a7 only if the          
,commission determines that-- 7#a7 the  
pipeline is the only prudent and        
feasible alternative to meet an         
overriding public need2  7#b7 the       
applicant1 in order to result in no1 or 
minimal1 adverse effect to a trail      
described in subsection 7a77#b7 and the 
viewshed of such a trail1 thoroughly    
considered1 in this order1 avoidance    
measures1 minimization measures1        
mitigation measures1 and enhancement    
measures1 including alternative routes1 

expanding existing pipeline             
infrastructure1 and policies to reduce  
energy demand in the region of need2    
7#c7 minimal road construction will be  
required to construct and operate the   
pipeline2  7#d7 construction of the     
pipeline will use the best available    
technology in order to minimize1 as much
 as possible1 the potential for leakage2
  7#e7 if the pipeline will intersect a 
trail described in subsection 7a77#b71  
the pipeline will intersect the trail-- 
7,a7 at a point that is already subject 
to significant impact1 including an     
existing energy or transportation       
infrastructure crossing1 or the         
applicant made a documented effort to   
consider such a route2 and  7,b7 only   
once and using the shortest path        
possible in crossing the trail2  7#f7   
the pipeline will not affect the        
surrounding viewshed of a trail         
described in subsection 7a77#b7 in an   
area that-- 7,a7 has been identified1   
through the viewshed analysis of the    

trail described in 7a77#a77;,b71 as an  
area of high conservation1 recreational1
 or scenic value2  7,b7 is a protected  
wilderness area1 as defined by the      
,wilderness ,act of #aifd1 an old-growth
 forest1 or an alpine area2 or  7,c7 has
 an existing designated location for a  
shelter or campsite2  7#g7 construction 
techniques to be used for the pipeline  
will produce a minimal disturbance to   
any trail described in subsection       
7a77#b7 and surrounding conserved lands2
  7#h7 the applicant has demonstrated   
plans for the ongoing maintenance and   
operation of the pipeline that ensures  
such maintenance and operation is done  
in a way that minimizes impact on any   
trail described in subsection 7a77#b7   
that the pipeline will intersect1 or the
 viewshed of which will be affected by  
the pipeline1 and surrounding conserved 
lands2 and  7#i7 the applicant clearly  
acknowledges that it has an affirmative 
duty to-- 7,a7 protect any trail        
described in subsection 7a77#b7 that the

 pipeline will intersect1 or the        
viewshed of which will be affected by   
the pipeline1 and surrounding           
environment2 and  7,b7 ensure the health
 and safety of the public who use such  
trail and surrounding environment4