Leave No Trace

As more people are camping, there is an increased need to take a better look at the environment we leave behind after a camping trip.  Leave No Trace is an organization that offers a sound way to enjoy the outdoors.

“Environmental scars can last a long time.  Riding through an aspen grove in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains one fall, friends and I paused to let our horses graze.  I was surprised to discover that a spate of graffiti, carved into a tree trunk in 1934, was still legible.  Look about you the next time you go camping: Trampled trails, eroded stream banks, and tin cans, plastic and other non-biodegradable litter are grim evidence that a thoughtless person came before.  Just when we think we’ve found an untouched pocket of wilderness, blackened rocks and half-burned logs from a careless campfire too often tell a different story.

As more people turn to the outdoors for recreation, the negative impact they make on the environment increases.  According to Tread Lightly! Inc., a group trying to minimize land abuse through responsible use of off-highway vehicles, 42 percent of U.S. Forest Service lands have been restricted or closed in the past 15 years.  Yellowstone, Glacier and other national parks are overrun by too many people who either don’t know how to lessen their impact or don’t care enough to try.

Yet minimum-impact or no-trace camping is growing in popularity.  The goal of many campers and backpackers is to leave nothing behind but an occasional footprint.  They are not crazed environmentalists; they are concerned citizens who want to contribute to a healthier environment for themselves and future generations.”

Source: The Camper’s and Backpacker’s Bible – Tom Huggler, Author.

For more information on “Leave No Trace”, visit:
Leave No Trace
Scouts and Leave No Trace
Bureau of Land Management