Record numbers of people are visiting the country’s national parks. This volume increase places a greater strain on these natural places. This increase coupled with a National Park Service backlog and deficit for maintaining existing facilities in parks illustrates the need for additional measures to maintain the national wilderness system. The status quo in wilderness maintenance is insufficient.
The Leave No Trace ethic has been around for decades as an informal set of principles for wilderness users to follow to minimize their impact when traveling through these areas. However, increasing numbers of first-time wilderness users means a growing population unfamiliar with Leave No Trace. Additionally, there is evidence that those arguably most aware of the principles are choosing to ignore them. The informal nature of these principles has outlived its usefulness; a heavier hand must now accompany them.
This comment argues the Leave No Trace principles should become law, replacing the current regulations governing recreational activities in wilderness areas. Decades of development allowed the principles to reach their current final form and build familiarity and consensus among those whom a law would affect most. Additionally, the simple and coherent structure of the principles serves to clean up the current scattered regulations and a messy body of law in general. Finally, Leave No Trace possesses certain traits that can address resource and enforcement issues of current regulations. A Leave No Trace law can be a concrete step in preserving our wilderness system and ensuring the viability of the natural world for generations.
