The LEAVE NO TRACE Code of Ethics
When the Covid 19 pandemic started in 2020 and the world shut down, many people looked for new places and ways to get out and explore.
Many people tried camping and outdoor trips, and many tried wilderness experiences for the first time. This was great and not so great, at the same time.
On one hand, it introduced many people to the joys of camping and the outdoors, and on the other hand, many people didn’t understand that being in the outdoors requires a great level of respect for nature, and that there are rules and ethics that go along with any trip into the outdoors, even just a day trip.
Here’s one way that impacted Minnesota
In Minnesota, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) covers a large portion of Northeastern Minnesota and is a pristine and beautiful area. Now, in normal or pre-pandemic times, people venturing out on canoe trips in the BWCAW would have to watch a detailed video at the forest service headquarters near their entry point before receiving their permit for entry.
This video is a critical step in the canoe trip process because it teaches and informs people about traveling in a wilderness area and the dos and don'ts etiquette on a wilderness trip. In 2020 though, all forest service offices were CLOSED, and people were supposed to watch the videos at home before their trip date, and it was an honor system, assuming most people would watch and learn from the videos.
When the summer of 2020 approached, it was apparent that many people hadn't watched the videos!
Stories of people dumping garbage in latrines, leaving trash on campsites, cutting down live trees for a better view of the lake, and people getting lost and needing help from volunteer search teams were alarmingly on the rise, straining resources from the outfitters providing the gear and also the rescue teams in nearby towns, which are volunteer based.
As the pandemic continues and people are still looking for different ways to go on trips, this trend continues to plague wilderness areas.
Tenets which outdoorsy-folk LIVE by
The Leave No Trace code of ethics was roughly developed in 1987 by the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management for backcountry and wilderness travel by individuals and organizations. In the early 1990s, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) developed a minimum impact training program for non-motorized outdoor and wilderness education and recreation.
Leave No Trace was incorporated in 1994 and is today's standard for wilderness ethical practices. Here are the 6 tenets of Leave No Trace:
Pack out everything you bring in.
Be careful not to disturb the surrounding pristine terrain and vegetation.
When washing dishes or yourself, be sure to perform those functions 200' from a lake or stream.
Use biodegradable soap, scatter remaining water.
Use designated toilet sites or bury human waste in 6-8" deep cathole, 200' from water.
Limit campfires to established campfire rings. Burn only downed and dead wood.
Together, we must be good stewards of the Earth and the wilderness because these areas grow smaller and smaller each year!
Let's work together to keep wild areas wild, clean, and pristine.
Share in the comments below how you can decrease your impact when you head out into nature…
