Skills & Ethics
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Volumes available in the Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics Series Alaska Wildlands Caving Deserts and Canyons Fishing Horse Use Lakes Region NORTH AMERICA Mountain Biking North America Northeast Mountains Pacific Northwest Rock Climbing Rocky Mountains Sea Kayaking Sierra Nevada Southeast Western River Corridors Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics PO Box 997 Boulder, Colorado 80306 http://www.LNT.org ©Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics/National Outdoor Leadership School Leave No Trace Skills & Ethics Series SKILLS & ETHICS Published 4/01 This booklet was funded with generous support from For more Leave No Trace information or to order materials, call1-800-332-4100 or visit www.LNT.org. Suggested Retail $2.95 recycled paper A FINAL Challenge Humans need to know about wild Contact land management agencies places, to experience them and and groups in your area and see how understand the rhythms they follow. you can help. Be active in the planning We need to contemplate our place and management of areas that are within these wildlands, to discern important to you. Volunteer for trail what it is that draws us there. We clean ups and maintenance, habitat need to carry with us an ethic that restoration efforts, and public educa- The Leave No Trace educational program promotes skills recognizes the value of wild places, tion programs, or organize them for and ethics to support the sustainable use of wildlands and and acknowledges our responsibility your local area. Get involved and let to treat them with respect, and apply your opinions on land use be known. natural areas. The concept originated in the U.S. as a way to good judgement as we visit and travel Support wildlands and sustainable help recreationists minimize their impacts while enjoying the within them. We need to care for wild recreation. places as if they were our homes outdoors. In 1991, the U.S. Forest Service teamed with the because, in many ways, they are. To do Information on obtaining Leave this is good for us, it’s good for those No Trace curriculum materials, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the who will surely follow, and it’s good courses and trainings is available Bureau of Land Management as partners in the Leave No for the wild places, wherever they by calling 800-332-4100 or visiting may be found. the extensive Leave No Trace Trace educational program. NOLS, a recognized leader in website: www.LNT.org. minimum-impact camping practices, became involved as the provider of Leave No Trace materials and training. NOTES Today, the non-profit organization The Leave No Trace ____________________________________________________________ Center for Outdoor Ethics, established in 1994, manages the ____________________________________________________________ national program. The Center unites four federal land ____________________________________________________________ management agencies—the U.S. Forest Service, National ____________________________________________________________ Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and ____________________________________________________________ Wildlife Service—with manufacturers, outdoor retailers, ____________________________________________________________ user groups, educators, and individuals who share a ____________________________________________________________ commitment to maintain and protect our wildlands and ____________________________________________________________ natural areas for future enjoyment. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ LEAVE NO TRACE Outdoor Skills & Ethics “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” —Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac NORTH AMERICA EDITION LNT Outdoor Skills and Ethics “The notion that [outdoor] recreation has no environmental impacts is no longer tenable.” —Curtis H. Flather and H. Ken Cordell, Wildlife and Recreationists People enjoy the outdoors in myri- Trace which aims to be part of the ad ways. We explore on foot, kayak, solution. At the heart of LNT are horseback, mountain bicycles, skis, seven principles for reducing the snowshoes, and crampons, to name a damage caused by outdoor activities, few, and there are more of us push- particularly non-motorized recre- ing our sports to greater extremes ation. Leave No Trace concepts can and into remoter parts of the natural be applied anywhere—in remote world everyday. Our experiences are wilderness, city parks, even in our personally satisfying, but they can be own back- costly to the places we visit and the yards—and At the heart of LNT animals we observe. in any are seven principles America’s wildlands are diverse recreational and beautiful. They can also be frag- endeavor. for reducing the ile. Polluted waters, displaced Leave No damage caused by wildlife, eroded soils, and trampled Trace prin- vegetation are just some of the ciples and outdoor activities, impacts linked directly to recreation- practices particularly non- al activities. Even our mere presence extend com- has an influence. Considerable dam- mon cour- motorized recreation. age could be prevented if recreation- tesy and ists were better informed, especially hospitality to other wildland visitors about Leave No Trace techniques. and to the natural world of which we This booklet is part of a national are all a part. They are based on an educational program called Leave No abiding respect for nature. This respect, coupled with good judgment and awareness, will allow you to apply the principles to your own unique circumstances. We can act on behalf of the places and wildlife that inspire us—in North America and beyond. First, let’s educate ourselves and adopt the skills and ethics that enable us to Leave No Trace. NORTH AMERICA - 2 - LNT Outdoor Skills and Ethics PRINCIPLES OF Leave No Trace • Plan Ahead and Prepare . .4 • Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces . .7 • Dispose of Waste Properly . .11 • Leave What You Find . .15 • Minimize Campfire Impacts . .18 • Respect Wildlife . .21 • Be Considerate of Other Visitors . .24 Wildland Ethics . .27 A Final Challenge . .28 A Few Terms Defined . .28 LNT Outdoor Skills and Ethics LIBRARY Visitors interested in stock use, mountain biking, kayaking and climb- ing, or other regions and recreational activities, are referred to the other booklets in the Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics series. Information on obtaining Leave No Trace curriculum materials, courses and trainings is available by calling Leave No Trace, Inc. 1-800-332-4100 or visiting the extensive LNT website: www.LNT.org. NORTH AMERICA - 3 - PLAN AHEAD and Prepare EDUCATE YOURSELF. Know the regulations and special concerns for any area you visit. Because every wild- land is unique, regulations and permit stipulations vary. Learn how to Leave No Trace wherever you go. Start by asking about local ecology and local minimum impact practices and guidelines. Land management agency Plan ahead by consider- websites, offices, and visitor ing your goals and those of information centers offer your group. Prepare by information on special regu- gathering information, lations, environmental con- communicating expecta- cerns, and trip planning, as tions, and acquiring the well as education and volun- technical skills, first aid teer opportunities. Other knowledge, and equipment information sources include to do the trip right. sporting goods suppliers, Build Leave No Trace into bookstores, clubs and non- your plans by picking an profit groups, local conser- appropriate destination for vation organizations, your group and allowing libraries and nature centers. plenty of time to travel and These sources can often be camp in good style. Be pre- contacted online. pared to sit tight or turn back if you sense danger or PLAN FOR YOUR GROUP. sustain an injury. That way, Recreation managers can sug- you won’t have to abandon gest places suited to your Leave No Trace techniques group. Your group, its skills, for the sake of safety. For and behavior should fit well instance, poor planning or with your wildland destina- disregard for approaching tion. For example, people bad weather can transform expect some noise and com- an easy hike into a risky motion around picnic areas, encounter with hypother- large campgrounds, and mia. Cold and wet, it’s developed recreation sites. In tempting to think that the the backcountry, visitors impacts of poorly sited want to experience nature campfires and makeshift without these distractions. shelters are warranted. NORTH AMERICA - 4 - PLAN AHEAD and Prepare Small versus large groups. and conflicts with other Regardless of the size of your groups. Instead, visit at other group and the purpose of times, such as midweek, for a your outing, the practice of less crowded—and more Leave No Trace techniques enjoyable—experience. Or, requires care and fore- explore out-of-the-way thought. Whenever possible, places. Make reservations and visit wildlands in small obtain permits well ahead of groups. Large groups can be time to avoid unpleasant sur- boisterous and disruptive prises. Avoid travel when unless they are well super- environmental conditions, vised. If you are planning for such as muddy