(1) (a) The United States congress added the old Spanish national historic trail to the national trails system on December 4, 2002, and authorized the secretary of the interior to administer the trail. The secretary of the interior designated the bureau of land management and the national parks service as coadministrators of the entire trail. The bureau of land management and the national parks service were charged with the development of a comprehensive administrative strategy and draft environmental impact statement, in compliance with the "National Trails System Act", as amended, and the "National Environmental Policy Act", as amended. The comprehensive administrative strategy was finalized in December 2017.
The general assembly hereby recognizes and commends the designation by the congress of the United States of the old Spanish trail as a national historic trail. The general assembly finds and declares that the portions of the old Spanish national historic trail occurring in the state of Colorado are a valuable and noteworthy historic resource that should be identified for the traveling public where they travel on or cross the highways of the state of Colorado.
In order to preserve the landscape, ecological, and ethnographic characteristics of theold Spanish national historic trail, the executive director of the department of transportation shall consult with culturally affiliated American Indian tribes before posting any signs under this section.
(2) Subject to the availability of funding from gifts, grants, or donations, the executive director of the department of transportation shall mark with suitable signs, which may include the original indigenous name as a secondary interpretive theme in accordance with the consultations conducted under subsection (1)(c) of this section, significant route segments and sites recognized as associated with the old Spanish national historic trail in Colorado, as generally depicted on the maps contained in the United States department of the interior, national parks service report entitled "Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment", dated July 2001, and as further refined by the secretary of the interior of the United States, where those routes travel on and cross the highways of the state. The department of transportation may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section.
Source: L. 2018: Entire section added, (HB 18-1351), ch. 316, p. 1905, § 2, effective August 8.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 18-1351, see section 1 of chapter 316, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.