Show f mV- 5 jt-- &vg ? V-- n ' vv J k V-'- ' V v m 'HAp : f 3V r4 i r “ 4' ' iV : v tV v‘ - r'V 'V 'x v ' sf v '- ¥l - r-v- ' 1 &A -- ii y 'Cfc- iZ J1 - V 'hr c — fi A fc £7 s 5i L Ik- i L: 41 4 i ! - lW- ds?$ 1 - t i r- T 1? f p r 2 I nr ' ) 0 ' y r- - p? 4 3$u '$m 4 - 'i tfi ’ JT i V iw Afr't i :'K loi a campsite for minimal visual impact S'li Georgia Saviers scoffs at die religious overtones to her name Savior? Yes she’s a believer in saving die wilderness and she might seem spiritually driven in her mission to preach a leave no trace ethic to wilderness users "But people can get a little too carried away in die presentation of it” she said trying to disarm any serious missionaiy connection Jumping back into the fray however she quickly added: "But a person can’t get carried away in die practice’’ of minimum impact camping Saviers is a Leave No Trace instructor a sales-pitc- h veteran of a theme that has now become the national bible for a number of land management agencies that have recognized the need for public education about skills to lessen impact cm the environment Saviers along with others of her mindset might just be a savior and her students are not shy about making a religious connection "I got religion’’ said Suzanne Garcia about her week-lon- g training session in the Wind River Mountains with the National Outdoor Leadership School staff for which Saviers works Garcia was joking of course about it being a religion but 20-ye- ar there wat u hint of humor in her zeal to spread die wore She it stale recreation coordinator at die Utah office of the Bureau of Land Management and she has seen damage to die environment firsthand BLM lands in die state are getting more and more use every year she said and that popularity has taken a toll on the resource Damage is apparent at many of the popular sites and a new direction is needed before some of the more unique destinations become lost forever believer’’ in the Leave No "I’m a Trace program she said Leave No Trace is an education partnership between six federal land management agencies wilderness school It is an and NOLS a education program designed to teach people responsible camping and traveling skills that will leave no impact or a minimum impact on the environment Saviers said her presentation can be broken down into two components — a skills section and an ethical consideration The skills section is the easy part NOLS takes its students into the field where it is easy to show resource damage where it is easy to demonstrate proper sanitation 100-perce- nt non-pro- fit techniques proper site selection for tents minimum impact cooking or traveling skills “You can teach skills practice skills fairly readily’’ Saviers said It is the ethical component that really rattles tradition There is a big difference between knowing and doing "I practice minimum impact camping because I really believe in it” she said But others cany cultural baggage that doesn’t allow diem to readily swallow the ideas And some of the ideas can shake traditionalists bones right to their No camping No roaring fire to bake awy die night chill- - No pretty blue and yellow rain fly for the tent No army-siz- e family marching groups Minimum impact means both consideration of the resources and also consideration of others’ aesthetic experience Saviers said she preaches using lightweight stoves instead of fires for cooking though there are techniques for fire building that are much less impacting than die typical fire ring setup She uses earth-ton- e colors for her equipment and sanitation calls for clothing carrying out toilet paper if people cany it at all fire-wann- ed ke State-of-the-- — she uses natural offerings (leaves snow stones smooth sticks) as replacements for toilet paper She keeps an immaculately clean campsite going so far as to strain dishwater to collect waste food particles which she of course packs out She tries to blend her tent site into me natural surroundings and she tries to camouflage any small impact she has made In short she leaves no trace of her presence When she’s gone it’s as if she were never there Leave No Tracers steer a new twist to the old question "If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no me around to hear it does it make any sound?” The updated question of merit all backcountry users now should ask themselves die question that will protect the resources for die generations to follow might go something like this: "If one uses the wilderness but no one can find any trace has one really used it?” Ah a moral imperative for die ’90s and beyond? The question is becoming more critical as population skyrockets and use of public lands follows the trend "There are no more White Pine Lakes” art See TRACE on page 18 Principles & Practices Since 1963 the National Outdoor Leadership School has pioneered the development and teaching of practical techniques to minimize impact on the environment These techniques have been incorporated in the national Leave No Trace program and include the following general principles: Flan ahead and prepare Concentrate impacts in high use areas Spread use and impact in pristine areas Avoid places where impact is just beginning rack it in pack it out Property dispose of what you cannot pack out leave what you find Use fire resjvnsibly For more information or detailed material about the Leave No Trace program call toll free I Saviers explains how to use a boulder as a kitchen wtldcrnro l:ii in us- e — 1 - A‘ Mhal Vm r rm I t - 5 v U ?5 A Teat lanVin Photos' Dai M A tai sgn is posted wffi no-Pa- ce irformahon ' y A V: - :rj Georgia Saviers demonstrates the appropriate placement of 1 v f tf -- - v s fn ' £T OUr - jV J T y£ w rj V' - ‘ - -- V v V& t - 'Sv 4 f IS c fj- 'J Vu7 V: a -- 74 - - r ’ A &?'£ ytfrV f -- I -- x - Saviers dscovers an cld tre nog w |