Leave No Trace - Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

From Larry Glickman, Park Ranger and Utah Leave No Trace & Tread Lightly Coordinator for the Bureau of Land Management at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

"From the Master Educator course we just completed here in Escalante, UT (May 23-27) at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Some of the course participants were so excited that they were 'channeling the Leave No Trace spirit...'"

How do you "channel the spirit" of Leave No Trace?

Idaho Falls Trainer Course

North Menan Butte, Idaho.

This past weekend my colleague Sara Close and I had the opportunity to travel to Idaho Falls, Idaho, to teach a Leave No Trace Trainer Course. Hosted by the Upper Snake Field Office, we had 11 participants from a variety of backgrounds: a BLM geologist who also volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America, several Girl Scout leaders, three BLM summer outdoor ethics employees from BYU-Idaho, two BLM Snake River Boat Launch Site hosts and a raft guide on the Salmon River.

Mound fire demo.

Thank you to all the participants for an engaging, fun and dynamic course. Sara and I certainly felt like it was a very successful course – great weather, fantastic course location, and an easy group dynamic. We were very grateful the weather cooperated. Congratulations to the newest Leave No Trace Trainers!

Group shot on North Menan Butte

If you are interested in learning more about the Leave No Trace Program or would like to implement a similar education program in your area, please contact Ben Lawhon in the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics office via email at ben@LNT.org or by phone: 800.332.4100 x104.

Authority of the Resource Skits

BLM Designates 2010 Free Days

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in conjunction with other agencies within the Department of the Interior, will waive recreation-related fees for visitors on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day) on many of the public lands managed by the BLM, including areas within the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

“In celebration of not only the 10th birthday of the BLM’s national conservation lands but also America’s Great Outdoors, we invite visitors to take the path less traveled and discover these treasured public lands during the fee-free days,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “For decades, millions of Americans have sought to connect with the outdoors by exploring the National System of Public Lands, and the BLM is proud to be a part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.”

Site standard amenity and individual day-use fees at BLM recreation sites and areas will be waived for the day. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, and group day use, will remain in effect.

The NLCS encompasses more than 27 million acres and includes 886 federally recognized areas of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the California Desert. More details about fee-free days and activities are available at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/BLM_Fee_Free_Days.html