By Carol Charnley
U.S. Forest Service
For the Sun-News

     For many centuries, the inhabitants of the nearby forested lands were faced with daily efforts to survive. Life was not easy -- food had to be hunted or gathered with simple tools, shelters had to be erected. Now the tables are turned: It's not the folks in wilderness areas who struggle to survive, it's the wilderness areas themselves that are struggling with the impact of an increasing number of visitors.

     Wilderness and back country use of our forests has increased dramatically over the last several generations. We are loving our wild areas to death. In times past the people who were in the back country were traveling quietly and carefully in order to minimize the chances of meeting up with their enemies.

     The Apaches left little evidence of their passing; it was a matter of survival for them. But now, many of those traveling in our forests today come for recreation purposes and don't always think about moving through the land quietly or carefully.

     A concern for the well-being of the back country led to the development of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The folks at NOLS started to tell us that we needed to learn how to do more than pick up litter and extinguish campfires because there were just too many of us using the back country now. We had to learn how to help maintain the integrity and character of the outdoors for all living things and for the coming generations. The Leave No Trace, or LNT, program developed out of this concern.

     LNT is a set of principles rather than a set of rules. The principles ask that we: 1). Plan Ahead and Prepare; 2). Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces; 3). Dispose of Waste Properly; 4). Leave What You Find; 5). Minimize Campfire Impacts; 6). Respect Wildlife; and 7). Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

     Whether we appreciate going into the back country because it's a beautiful place, a personal challenge, a place of solitude, or because we have a scientific interest in the wildlife or plants, hopefully, we feel a connection with the land. If we feel connected to it, most likely we will feel a need to help take care of it. LNT gives us some guidelines to do this. Join us in the coming weeks as we take a look at each of the principles.