Leave No Trace

Camping

Boy Scouts of America

OUTDOOR ETHICS 

Delivering the

BSA Leave No Trace Program

Boy Scouts of America

OUTDOOR ETHICS 

Presentation Objectives

• Provide the rationale for an outdoor ethics program in the BSA.

• Review the seven Principles of Leave No Trace.

• Review the BSA Outdoor Ethics programs.

• Explain how you can bring these programs to your home council

Outdoor Recreation

WoodcraftThe Consumptive Ethic

Wilderness Act of 1964

Exponential Increases in Outdoor Recreational Visits to Public Lands

Outdoor Recreational Visitations

Wilderness Recreation Visitation Days

• 1975 7 Million• 1985 15 Million• 2000 20 Million

• National Park Visitations

• 1950 33 Million• 1970 172 Million• 2000 287 Million

Combined Visitations to Public Lands• 2000 Over 700 Million

Elephant in the woods?BSA Estimated Use:30,000,000 DAYS!

BSA should be part of the solution.

Are we?

• 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about BSA units on federal land:• Kids out of control• Too much noise• Group sizes too big• Camping skills badly out of date• Inappropriate play damages the backcountry• Don't keep appointments to do service work• Completely soak up popular campsites or shelters• Unskilled campers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...

IMPACTS

IMPACTS IMPACTS

IMPACTS IMPACTS

Vegetation ImpactsVegetation Impacts

• Vegetation loss

• Spread of

non-native species

• Tree damage

Soil ImpactsSoil Impacts

• Soil compaction

• Soil erosion

• Loss of organic

litter

Wildlife ImpactsWildlife Impacts

• Disturbance of

wildlife

• Altered behavior

• Reduced health &

reproduction

Water Resource ImpactsWater Resource Impacts

• Turbidity,

sedimentation

• Food scraps, soap,

& fecal wastes

• Animal access

points blocked

Social ImpactsSocial Impacts• Crowding

• Conflicts

• Noise

Cultural Resource ImpactsCultural Resource Impacts

• Theft of artifacts• Damage to

historic structures• Damage to

cultural features

Loving our public lands to Loving our public lands to death!death!

IncreasedVisitation =

Increased

Impacts

Regulate Usage?

Regulations antagonize the public

Enforcement of regulations is difficult and expensive

Most impacts are not due to malicious acts

Preservation Ethic

Education Not Legislation

U.S. Forest Service

National ParkService

Bureau of Land Management

U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service

Boy Scouts of America

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.

Leave No Trace Video

Scouting and Leave No Trace

• Scouting and Leave No Trace have a long partnership

Literature: Boy Scout Handbook, FieldbookAwards: Cub Scout & Boy Scout Leave No Trace AwardVenturing Ranger Award

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

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

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

How Leave No TraceWill Come to Scouting

• The Leave No Trace roll out plan– National Task Force established– National goal established– BSA Master Educator courses across the United

States during 2007-2010. – BSA specific Leave No Trace training

programs (training continuum)– New council-level volunteer position created

National Goal

• BSA Leave No Trace Task Force established the following goals:– One or more Leave No Trace Master Educators in

every local council

– One or more Leave No Trace Trainers in every district.

• Master Educators will train Trainers. Trainers will provide training to youth and adult who desire to learn more about Leave No Trace.

Master Educator Development

• The BSA Leave No Trace Task Force has sponsored a series of Master Educator courses across United States (2007-2010).– 162 Master Educators trained so far, approximately 185 total– Courses remaining in 2009 include:

• Philmont, NM (May, Sept) Golden Spread, TX (October)• Northern Tier, MN (August) Midnight Sun, AK (June)• Clinton Valley, MI (Oct.) Western LA County, CA

(Oct.)• Mid-Iowa, IA (July) Chief Seattle, WA (August)• Puerto Rico (August) Caddo Area, TX (Sept./Oct.)• Okeefenokee Area, GA (March)

– Course schedule available in Scouting magazine

Progress Toward National Goal, May 2009

Color =MasterEducator

BSA Leave No TraceTraining 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

BSA Leave No TraceTraining 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

BSA Leave No TraceTraining 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

BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum

• BSA Leave No Trace 101– 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

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.

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.)

Future Goals

• Integration of BSA Leave No Trace 101 with Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills– All BSA outdoor trained leaders will learn basics of

Leave No Trace during basic training

• Revised Leave No Trace Awareness Award program

• Development of additional Scouting-specific Leave No Trace skills

Successful Implementation

• New “Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate” position will help council succeed with challenges of Leave No Trace implementation– Recruit Leave No Trace Trainers and Master Educators– Promote and coordinate Leave No Trace training

efforts at local council level– Coordinate with, and serve as a member of (at local

council discretion) Training, Camping, Program and Conservation committee(s)

– Report progress to the National Task Force

Councils with Outdoor Ethics Advocates

Green =EthicsAdvocate

Local Council Roll Out Plan

• Identify Outdoor Ethics Advocate to coordinate plan• Recruit Trainers and Master Educators

– Contact Task Force –leavenotracecamping@netbsa.org

• Promote Leave No Trace Awareness– Workshops at roundtables, camporees, etc.– Offer BSA LNT 101 courses to get adult volunteers up to speed on

basics– Offer BSA Trainer courses to interested youth and adults

• Report progress in annual Outdoor Ethics Advocate report

Additional Resources

• Official:– Frank Reigelman, Director of Outdoor Programs– Eric Hiser, Chair, BSA Leave No Trace Task Force– leavenotracecamping@netbsa.org– www.scouting.org– Boy Scout Handbook, Fieldbook and Teaching Leave No Trace,

No. 21-117– www.lnt.org – website of Leave No Trace Center

• Semi-Official– BSALNTME Yahoo group (contact Eric Hiser)– Outdoorethics-bsa.org (BSA Leave No Trace task force website)

Implementing Leave No Trace in the Local CouncilPhilmont Training Center

September 20-25, 2009

Boy Scouts of America

OUTDOOR ETHICS