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Date: May 24, 2007
Contact: Dave Kronk, 906-387-2607, ext. 206

NPS photo

Tent at backcountry campsite

On June 9-10, 2007, a Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics course will be held at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Participants will canoe and camp overnight in the park and learn first-hand the seven principles of Leave No Trace:

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.
7. Be considerate of others.

There is no charge for the workshop. Participants must be at least 15 years old and provide their own food and camping gear. Some gear may be available for loan.

Participants must also attend a planning session on May 30, 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Munising.

America’s recreation lands, including private, local, state and federal holdings, are being used and enjoyed by more and more people. The most dramatic increases in outdoor recreation occurred in the 1960’s when hiking, camping and backpacking first became popular.

For example, recreation visits to National Park Service areas were 33 million in 1950, increasing more than five-fold to 172 million in 1970, with more modest increases to 258 million in 1990, and 287 million in 1999. Similarly, use of National Forest primitive areas and wilderness tripled during the 1960’s and public land visitation continues to increase. Recreation visits to the U.S. Forest Service lands have jumped from 4.6 million in 1924 to 900 million in 1999.

The goal of the national Leave No Trace educational program is to avoid or minimize impacts to natural area resources and help ensure a positive recreational experience for all visitors. America’s public lands are a finite resource whose social and ecological values are linked to the integrity of their natural conditions and processes.

Land managers face a perennial struggle in their efforts to achieve an appropriate balance between the competing mandates to preserve natural and cultural resources and provide high quality recreational use. Visitor education designed to instill low impact ethics and skills is a critical management component and is seen as a light-handed approach that can reduce the need for more direct and regulatory forms of management.

To register for this course, or for more information about Leave No Trace, please contact David Kronk, Education Specialist at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore at 906-387-2607 extension 206 or david_kronk@nps.gov