The 7 principles for preserving the great outdoors are to plan trips carefully, prepare for hazards and emergencies, travel and camp on durable surfaces, protect wildlife habitats, leave areas as you find them, minimize campfire impacts, and respect other visitors. Key points include knowing rules, using established trails and campsites, packing out all waste, and avoiding damage to natural or historical structures.

1. The 7 principles to preserving the Great Outdoors
Summarized by Cierra Simmons

2. PLAN:
 Know rules and concerns of the area
 Schedule beforehand to avoid crowds
 Take small groups or divide large ones
PREPARE
 Anticipate
extreme weather, hazards, and
emergencies
 Repackage food to minimize space used
 Use a map/compass to eliminate markings left
behind

3. -Make sure to travel and camp on durable surfaces
 Established trails, campsites, rock or gravel, dry grasses, or snow.
-Protect wildlife habitats
 Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and streams or other habitats
-Find your campsite…no need to make a new one or alter
the old
-In popular areas
 Use only existing trails and campsites and take care of them. Keep
campsites small and as close to original state as possible.
-In pristine areas
 Don’t create new campsites or trails and avoid newly impacted areas

4. Leave it how you found it
 Whatever you brought, you take back.
Dig a ‘cathole’ for any human waste but pack out
toilet paper and hygiene products.
For any washing on your trip carry water 200 feet
away from streams or lakes.
 Use small amounts of biodegradable soap and spread used water
out.

5.  Preserve natural, cultural, and historic
structures and artifacts.
 Leave everything as you find it.
 Avoid introducing/transporting non-
native species
 Do not build or add any features to the
land

6. Campfires cause lasting effects to nature so:
 Use a [lightweight] stove for cooking and
candle for light.
 Where fires are allowed, use existing fire
rings, fire pans, or mound fire.
 Keep fires small and use sticks that are
already on the ground.
 Burn wood completely and make sure fire
is out.

7. Respect other visitors
 Protect the quality of their experience as well as your own
 Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors
Be courteous
 Yield to others on trail
Take downhill side when passing pack stock
Let nature sound like…nature
 Avoid loud voices and noises

8.  http://lnt.org/programs/principles.ph
 Pictures from Microsoft Word Clip Art
Slide Show by: Cierra Simmons