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Increasing numbers of horseback riders are seeking
solitude and adventure in our roadless backcountry. From the Great
Smoky Mountains to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, people are loving
these special places to death.
Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor
Ethics is a national non-profit organization dedicated to
promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation and minimum
impact wildland visitation through education, research and
partnerships. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation
and respect for our wildlands. Practicing Leave No Trace Ethics when
you visit the backcountry ensures that the area that you visited
will be as pristine for the next person as it was for you, not to
mention for the creatures that make that place their
home.
The seven
Leave No Trace principles are:
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- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Know the regulations and special
concerns for the area you'll visit.
- Prepare for extreme weather, hazards
and emergencies.
- Schedule your trip to avoid times of
high use.
- Visit in small groups. Split larger
parties into groups of 4-6.
- Repackage food to minimize waste.
- Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of
marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Durable surfaces include established
trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
- Protect riparian areas by camping at
least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
- Good campsites are found, not made.
Altering a site is not necessary.
- In popular areas, concentrate use on
existing trails and campsites, walk single file in the middle of
the trail, even when wet or muddy and keep campsites small.
Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
- In pristine areas, disperse use to prevent
the creation of campsites and trails and avoid places where
impacts are just beginning.
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your
campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all
trash, leftover food, and litter.
- Deposit solid human waste in catholes
dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and
trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
- Pack out toilet paper and hygiene
products.
- To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water
200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of
biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.
- Leave What You Find
- Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch,
cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
- Leave rocks, plants and other natural
objects as you find them.
- Avoid introducing or transporting
non-native species.
- Do not build structures, furniture, or dig
trenches.
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Campfires can cause lasting impacts to
the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a
candle lantern for light.
- Where fires are permitted, use
established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
- Keep fires small. Only use sticks from
the ground that can be broken by hand.
- Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out
campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
- Respect Wildlife
- Observe wildlife from a distance. Do
not follow or approach them.
- Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife
damages their health, alters natural behaviors and exposes them
to predators and other dangers.
- Protect wildlife and your food by
storing rations and trash securely.
- Control pets at all times, or leave
them at home.
- Avoid wildlife during sensitive times:
mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
- Respect other visitors and protect the
quality of their experience.
- Be courteous. Yield to other users on
the trail.
- Step to the downhill side of the trail
when encountering pack stock.
- Take breaks and camp away from trails
and other visitors.
- Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud
voices and noises.
Information and materials on Leave No Trace
principles are available for your area by calling 1-800-332-4100 or
by visiting the Leave No Trace website at www.lnt.org. |
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