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[at-l] LNT - Whatsinna name?

Hello Green Ghost (and All) -

Another beautiful sunny day here...over half of yesterday's two feet of
snow has melted away.  Us Alabamites noticed an interesting Colorado
phenomenon when we were out slogging...the snow has melted down to a level
that the pointy "desert" plants are starting to stick up out of the snow.
It makes a SERIOUS slalom course for the sledders and snow boarders!

You said:

>0O> but that's what I found really constructive about your presentation
>...you began by saying LNT is sort of a moving target... it's meant to
>change, to get better... & tho' that's very simple as a concept to me
>that is a viable long term strategy... because I do want to get better &
>I think we can...
>O0> plus I like the big umbrella, this includes all backcountry users...
>there's something for everyone... this embraces us all & invites us all
>in... (which has been one of my complaints against the ATC & their
>political partisanship)... this is a framework for all of us to work
>together according to where we are & what we do...we can all be better...

Good point!  LNT is NOT a set of rules for a particular bunch of
backcountry users...it is the name for a "process" that we can all use to
arrive at the optimum backcountry-use "choice" for a given individual doing
a given activity at a given place at a given time.

You said

>O0> I don't think I can call it LNT... nitpicking I find it an inaccurate
>name which conflicts with what you wrote... I now think of it as LMT
>(leave minimum trace)... imo,  this more accurately states the principle
>of trying to reduce or minimize our impact... imo, being better & having
>less impact is a worthy goal & something I can do...

Ron said (along with a LOT of other good stuff <g>):

>...What are the unintended consequences to LNT? Well it's far too early
>to know. What we don't want is to let a few rules, however good
>intentioned, shield us from the responsibility of the environment. At
>best they can provide a good road map. But they should be constantly
>analyzed to insure there are no cliffs in the road.
>
>When traveling in the backcountry, my first aim is always to first "Do No
>Harm". But since it's not always easy to know what is or isn't harmful,
>then at least "Leave No Trace" becomes a reasonable guide.

Plum'Crazy said:

>I must confess that the I have to swallow very hard when I hear or read
>"LNT", not because I disagree with the Do No Harm intent of the
>movement/program/whatever we want to call it, but being somewhat of a
>purist (and having spent 37 years dealing with Gov't Buzz words/acronyms
>and other oxymorons) I am all but turned off by Titles that are
>impossible. We cannot exist on this planet without leaving a trace of
>where we've been. Can we change the name to LALATAP (Leave as little a
>trace as possible) or LNSIUTT (Lets not screw it up this time). What
>little sanity I have left would like either of those much better.

Other postings made during the last couple of weeks have also helped show
that there is still a little confusion in understanding the relationship
between the name "Leave No Trace" and the minimum-impact backcountry use
"system" (or decision-making "process") that it stands for.

I must apologize if I didn't make the relationship perfectly clear:

                         THERE AIN'T NONE!

At least not directly...there, I feel better now...<VBG>.

A thumbnail description of the LNT philosophy would look something like:

learn how our actions can harm the backcountry;
become committed to doing as little harm as possible;
go do it (or don't do it, as the case may be <g>); and,
don't be a wuss about getting fellow backcountry users to join in!

The LNT title is just a "marketing gimmick"...kind of a cute reminder that,
however impossible attainment might be, perfection is always a good goal to
shoot for.  No rules.  No rigidity.  No excluding anybody.  No having to
stick with outdated practices.  No having to do something in desert country
just because we should do it in alpine areas.  Lotsa putting the monkey on
our collective backs to have the guts to learn enough to make the hard
decisions that allow each of us to minimize our personal impact.

LNT is a BIG change from the past rule-based efforts at recreation
management by the feds.  It really surprised me that they not only bought
into it...they helped invent it!

The ball is now in our court...I can't believe the control issues that had
to be sorted out to get it there <VBG>.

Trace No Leaves,

- Charlie II


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