February 25, 2000
FEATURES
11
Advice for living with leave no trace ethics
Pisgah National Forest offers
many great opportunities for stu
dents to get away and relax, forget
about classes or just have fun.
Climbing, hiking, kayaking or
sight-seeing, it’s the type of place
where people can connect with
nature just
five min
utes from
the front
gate of the
college.
Josh
Fussell, a Wilderness Leadership
major and state park employee uses
the forest almost everyday, and
believes the forest provides excel
lent opportunities for recreation and
enjoyment if used responsibly.
However, while the forest can be
enjoyed by all, people do more
BY JESSE
JANICULA
the forest and keep it in its natural
condition for others to enjoy.
PRINCIPLES OF LEAVE NO
TRACE
Plan ahead and nrepare-
Know the area and what to expect.
Never venture off trail and only
camp in designated areas. Travel in
small groups, four to six people is
recommended. Select appropriate
equipment such as free-standing
tents and lightweight stoves.
Camp and travel on durable
surfaces- In popular areas, concen
trate use such as campsites. Stay on
trails, take rest breaks on durable
surfaces such as rock or bare
ground. Camp at least 200 feet
away from trails and water to avoid
harm to the land than they realize.
Irresponsible use of America’s
forest is a serious problem. Since
the US Forest Service lacks the
funding to fix the harm caused by
the people who use the forest over
the years, people must do their part
to keep the problem of forest miss-
use from getting worse.
Clyde Carter, Assistant Direc
tor of Wilderness Leadership, has
climbed at Looking Glass Rock for
many years. He has observed the
ground around the base of the rock
eroding away by as much as three
feet due to the rocks use, causing
™noff into the nearby streams and
exposing plants roots systems.
Erosion is just one of many prob
lems.
Trash and graphite are also
problems plaguing Pisgah National
Porest. By following the simple
guidelines of leave no trace ethics,
guidelines followed by all outdoor
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Photo by Lindi Lagman.
contamination. Avoid fragile
vegetation, places where impact is
just beginning, and if moving sticks
or rocks when making camp,
always put them back where you
found them after breaking camp.
Park it in. pack it out- Reduce
the amount of litter taken into the
iW.
■
Photo by Lindi Lagman.
back country by repack
aging food into reusable
containers, never bury or
leave trash behind, and
after breaking camp,
check to make sure
nothing was left.
Properlv dispose of
what vou can’t pack out-
Bury all waste, minimize
soap use and food scraps
in wastewater, and avoid
contaminating water
sources when washing.
Leave what vou
find- Minimize altering
the site by digging
trenches or making
things from the natural surround
ings, avoid damaging live trees and
plants and leave all natural objects
where you found them.
Minimize use and the impact
k
Photo by Michelle Crabtree.
of fire- Use dead wood for fires and
burn it completely, use existing fire
rings in high-use areas, be aware of
the areas regulations on fires and
scatter ashes after the fire has
burned out.
Leave no trace
information and materials
1-800-332-4100
http://www.Int.org
Photo by Michelle Crabtree.