1. Boy Scouts of America OUTDOOR ETHICS
Leave No Trace
Camping

2. Presentation Objectives
Knowledge of Leave No Trace and its seven principles.
Understanding the importance of Leave No Trace in outdoor activities.
Where to locate additional Leave No Trace resources and opportunities for further Leave No Trace training.

3. Exponential Increases in Outdoor Recreational Visits to Public Lands
Wilderness Act of 1964
Exponential Increases in Outdoor Recreational Visits to Public Lands

4. Outdoor Recreational Visitations
Wilderness Recreation Visitation Days
Million
Million
Million
National Park Visitations
Million
Million
Million
Combined Visitations to Public Lands
Over 900 Million

5. Elephant in the woods? BSA Estimated Use: 30,000,000 DAYS!
BSA should be part of
the solution.
Are we?

6. Common perceptions by Federal land management agencies about BSA units on federal land:
Kids out of control
Too much noise
Group sizes too big
Camping skills badly out of date
Inappropriate play damages the backcountry
Don't keep appointments to do service work
Completely soak up popular campsites or shelters
Unskilled campers using areas that call for expert skills
Using inappropriate areas (hi-use, fragile) to train new campers
and on and on and on...

7. IMPACTS IMPACTS IMPACTS IMPACTS IMPACTS

8. Vegetation Impacts Vegetation loss Spread of non-native species
Tree damage

9. Soil Impacts
Soil compaction
Soil erosion
Loss of organic litter

10. Wildlife Impacts Disturbance of wildlife Altered behavior
Reduced health & reproduction

11. Water Resource Impacts
Turbidity, sedimentation
Food scraps, soap, & fecal wastes
Animal access points blocked

12. Social Impacts
Crowding
Conflicts
Noise

13. Cultural Resource Impacts
Theft of artifacts
Damage to historic structures
Damage to cultural features

14. Loving our public lands to death!
Increased
Visitation =
Increased
Impacts

15. Regulate Usage? Regulations antagonize the public
Enforcement of regulations is difficult and expensive
Most impacts are not due to malicious acts

16. Preservation Ethic

17. Education Not Legislation
U.S. Forest Service
National Park
Service
Education Not Legislation
Boy Scouts of America
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service

18. What Is Leave No Trace? (and why BSA chose it)
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics says:
Leave No Trace is an national and international program designed to assist outdoor enthusiasts with their decisions about how to reduce their impacts when they hike, camp, picnic, snowshoe, run, bike, hunt, paddle, ride horses, fish, ski or climb. The program strives to educate all those who enjoy the outdoors about the nature of their recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts. Leave No Trace is best understood as an educational and ethical program, not as a set of rules and regulations.
Program is organized around the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace. Like Scouting, Leave No Trace aims at character development.

19. Leave No Trace Video

20. Principles of Leave No Trace
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What you Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

21. Plan Ahead and Prepare

22. Plan Ahead and Prepare Campers who plan ahead:
Can avoid unexpected situations
Minimize their impact by
complying with area regulations such as observing limitations on group size.

23. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces

24. Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
Rock
Gravel
Sand
Compacted soil,
Dry grasses
Snow

25. Travel & Camp on Durable Surface
Concentrate Activity
In high-use areas
Where vegetation is already absent
Use existing trails
Use designated or existing campsites
Keep campsites small

26. Travel & Camp on Durable Surface cont’d
Spread Out
In more remote, less-traveled areas
When hiking, different paths to avoid creating new trails
Disperse tents & cooking activites
Move camp daily
Always use durable surfaces

27. Dispose of Waste Properly
Sanitation
Proper disposal prevent spread of disease and exposure to others.

28. Dispose of Waste Properly (Pack It In, Pack It Out)
Wastewater
Strain food particles from dishwater
Dispose of dishwater at least 200 feet from water source.
Human Waste
Catholes 6 to 8 inches deep
200 feet from water, trails, & campsites.

29. Leave What you Find
Allow others a sense of discovery, and preserve the past.
Leave rocks, plants, animals, archaeological artifacts, and other objects.

30. Leave What you Find Minimize Site Alterations
Do not dig tent trenches or build lean-tos, tables or chairs.
Never hammer nails into trees or use hatchets or saws
Replace surface rocks or twigs that you clear from campsite

31. Minimize Campfire Impacts
Chose not to have fire if
Wood is scarce
High elevation
Desert setting
Lightweight camp stoves make low-impact camping

32. Minimize Campfire Impacts
If you build a fire:
Use existing campfire ring
Keep fire small
Burn all wood to ash

33. Respect Wildlife
Quick movements and loud noises are stressful to animals.

34. Respect Wildlife Observe wildlife from afar
Give animals a wide berth, especially during breeding, nesting, & birthing season.
Store food securely
Keep garbage and food scraps away from animals

35. Be Considerate of Other Visitors.
Travel & camp in small groups
Keep noise down (leave electronics home)
Select campsites away from other groups
Travel & camp quietly
Colors of clothing & gear blend in
Respect private property
Leave gates as found (open or closed)

36. Scouting and Leave No Trace
Scouting and Leave No Trace have a long partnership
Literature: Boy Scout Handbook, Fieldbook
Awards: Cub Scout & Boy Scout Leave No Trace Award
Venturing Ranger Award

37. Scouting Is Moving to the Next Level of Outdoor Ethics Emphasis:
Boy Scouts
New chapter 7 in Handbook
New advancement requirements:
Second Class: Know principles
First Class: Demonstrate principles
New Troop position of responsibility: Leave No Trace Trainer (note: patch is concept draft only)
Cub Scouts & Venturing
Revised Awareness Awards

38. What This Partnership Means for the Local Council
Leaders will want to learn about Leave No Trace to facilitate youth advancement
Youth will want to learn Leave No Trace principles and skills to advance.
Youth will want to qualify for Leave No Trace Instructor and Trainer positions

39. How Leave No Trace Training Is Delivered
Leave No Trace Trainers deliver the Leave No Trace Principles and skills to units and individuals.
Leave No Trace Master Educators train Leave No Trace Trainers.
The Challenge:
Training a Trainer requires a minimum 16 hour course
Training a Master Educator requires a five day, five night course

40. BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum
Awareness Workshop
In-Unit Training by Youth or Adults
Leave No Trace 101
Leave No Trace Trainer Course
Leave No Trace Master Educator Course

41. BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum
Awareness Workshops
Goal: Awareness about Leave No Trace
Instructor: May be taught by anyone with knowledge, trained individuals preferred
Course: Can be any length of time period, with content varying on time and desired coverage
Great for Roundtables, Camporees and tailored presentations to units getting ready to go out to field

42. BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum
In-Unit Training by Youth and Adults
Goal: Unit program specific training
Instructor:
Cub Scouts—unit adult, Boy Scout or Venturer having at least BSA LNT 101, if possible
Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts—youth Instructor (if BSA LNT 101) or Trainer (if LNT Trainer Course)
Venturing—typically a youth Trainer (if LNT Trainer Course)
Course: Varies by unit needs

43. BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum
Goal: General introduction to Leave No Trace
Instructor: Leave No Trace Trainer
Syllabus: BSA Leave No Trace 101 Course Guide, minimum of 3 hours
Earn: BSA Leave No Trace Awareness Card
Recommended training course for Troop Leave No Trace Instructors, Venturers, and adults responsible for Leave No Trace Awareness Awards and advancement

44. BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum
BSA Leave No Trace Trainer
Goal: Strong knowledge of Leave No Trace principles, ethic and skills; ability to teach others
Instructor: Master Educator
Syllabus: BSA Leave No Trace Trainer Course Manual, minimum 16 hours course.
Earn: Leave No Trace Trainer status
Required training for Troop Leave No Trace Trainer position of responsibility or others seeking Trainer status.
BSA will accept Trainers taught by other Leave No Trace recognized Master Educators.

45. BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum
BSA Leave No Trace Master Educator
Goal: Comprehensive knowledge of Leave No Trace principles, skills and ethic and ability to teach and motivate others
Instructor: Instructors appointed by National Council
Syllabus: Leave No Trace Master Educator Handbook and BSA Supplement, minimum of five days/nights.
Earn: Master Educator status, membership with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
BSA will accept Master Educators trained by other providers recognized by Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (NOLS, AMC, WEA, Nine-Mile, etc.)

46. Additional Resources Official: Semi-Official
Frank Reigelman, Director of Outdoor Programs
Eric Hiser, Chair, BSA Leave No Trace Task Force
(BSA Leave No Trace task force website)
Boy Scout Handbook, Fieldbook and Teaching Leave No Trace, No
– website of Leave No Trace Center
Semi-Official
BSALNTME Yahoo group (contact Eric Hiser)