Lnt short version

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Leave No Trace LNT Principals

description

Short version of my WTC LNT presentation

Transcript of Lnt short version

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Leave No Trace

LNT Principals

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L….Leave

N… No

T…Trace

In fact, leave it “better” than you found it.

Basic Precepts to Live, Hike and Camp by

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LNT has a lot of Dos and Don’ts.

Some rules may seem to be in conflict with other outdoor teachings.

The simplest rule is…when in doubt, use common sense.

Wendell’ Guidelines for LNT

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•Plan Ahead and Prepare

•Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

•Dispose of Waste Properly

•Leave What You Find

•Minimize Campfire Impact

•Respect Wildlife

•Be Considerate of Other Visitors

7 Basic Principles

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•Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.

•Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

Plan and Prepare

•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.

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The goal of backcountry travel is to move through the backcountry while avoiding damage to the land -- both trails and off-trail areas.

• 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.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

• Vegetation– Dry grass - maybe OK– Wet meadow – NO NEVER

• Desert puddles and mud holes– Scarce resource– DO NOT DISTURB

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Surface Durability

• Rock, sand and gravel – Highly durable– Lichens are vulnerable

• Ice and snow– Effects temporary if snow is deep enough– Follow avalanche safety precautions

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Travel on Trails• Stay within the trail

(single file is best)• DO NOT cut switchbacks

Travel “Off” Trails

(X-country)• Spread the impact• Consider:

– Surface durability– Size of the group

Surface Durability

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Campsite Selection• Established sites on

durable surfaces

• 200 ft away from water source

• Sites not visible from trail or other sites

• DO NOT disturb ground

– NO trenching

– No overturned rocks

• Use rock, sand or gravel for cooking area

• When breaking camp, make extra effort to remove your trace…and remove other’s trace too

Surface Durability

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Which of these is Not a Durable Surface?

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Dispose of Waste Properly

PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT: Trash and litter are primarily social impacts which can greatly detract from the naturalness of an area.

•Pack Out virtually EVERYTHING

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•Clean Camp site: A “no-trace camper” always keeps a clean camp.

•Use Bear Canisters•Never leave food in your tent

•Never Bury Food Scraps: Food scraps become attractive to animals.

•These camp robbers become “habituated” to campers as a food source. •Human food is not natural to wild animals •Natural feeding cycles and habits become disturbed.

Food Waste

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Special Considerations for Bear Country: Whether there are black bears or grizzly bears present, the disposal of garbage takes on a new significance.

•The primary concern here is safety…both for the visitor and for the bear.

-- A bear can be a very dangerous animal if you come between it and it’s food.

-- Safety of the bear is also a concern. Once a bear is habituated because it associates people with food, it can rapidly become a problem bear and may have to be KILLED

Food Handling

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Human Wastes

• Pack it out– Required in high impact areas

• Bury (cathole)– 200 ft away from H2O, trail or camp– Sites with maximum sunlight and deep

organic soil are best– 6-8 in. deep and 4-6 in. diameter– 4-6 in. deep in hot desert– Covered and disguised after use

• Toilet Paper– PACK IT OUT, do not burn or bury– Consider go natural - leaves, stones or snow

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Other Wastes

• Pack it in, pack it out– Trash, left over food and litter

• Wash yourself and dishes 200 ft away from water source

• Use small amounts of biodegradable soap (if absolutely necessary)

• Scatter strained dish water

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Allow others a sense of discovery by leaving them… as you find them.

•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.

Leave What You Find

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Leave What You Find

•PICKING a few flowers does not seem like it would have any great impact, but, if every visitor did so….

•LEAVE for others to find and enjoy: -- Downed wood (Dead-fall)…Mother Nature needs it -- Natural objects of beauty or interest such as antlers, petrified wood, or colored rocks add to the mood of the backcountry -- Historical/Cultural Artifacts need to be left for others to find too

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Avoid Damaging Live Trees and Plants:

•Avoid hammering nails into trees for hanging things.

Dispel Old Rules:

•Hacking at trees with hatchets and saws - UNACCEPTABLE

•Carving into trees - UNACCEPTABLE

•Cutting of boughs as sleeping pads – ONLY IN SURVIVAL MODE

•Digging trenches - UNACCEPTABLE

Leave What You Find

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Minimize Campfire Impacts

Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry.

•Avoid building fires next to rock out crops where the black scars will remain for many years.

•Use a 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

(Dirt may not completely extinguish the fire or it may carry a hidden fuel

source.)

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•Mound Fire -- a ground cloth or plastic garbage bag filled with dirt or sand-- Scatter the ash and dirt

•Pan Fire --Disposable Aluminum foil roasting pans -- 3-inch high sides -- Elevated on rocks or lined with mineral soil so the heat does not scorch the ground-- Pack out the pan

Approved LNT Fires

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Observe Wildlife from Afar. Learn about wildlife through quiet observation. Observe wildlife from a distance. Remember that you are a visitor to their home.

•Do not pursue, or pick up animals…this is stressful to animals.

•Quick movements and loud noises are stressful too(One exception is in bear country where it is good to make

a little noise so as not to startle the bears)

•Allow free access to water sources…give them the buffer space

-- Remember, Camps should be located 200 feet or more from existing water sources.

Respect Wildlife

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Respect Wildlife• Observe wildlife from a distance.

• Never feed animals.

• 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.

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Be Considerate of OthersOne of the most important components of outdoor ethics is to maintain courtesy toward other visitors. Many people come to the outdoors to listen to nature.

•Keep noise down in camp

•To maximize your feeling of privacy, avoid trips on holidays and busy weekends or take a trip during the off season.

•Groups leading or riding livestock have the right-of-way --Hikers and bicyclists should move off the trail to the downhill side.

•Stay in control when mountain biking. Before passing others, politely announce your presence. •Keep pets under control at all times.

•Choose a camp site where rocks or trees will screen it from others view

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Welcome to My Home and Keep It Pristine

“Leave only Footsteps…Take only Memories”