Leave No Trace

The BSA is committed to Leave No Trace, which is a nationally recognized outdoor skills and ethics awareness program. Its principles are guidelines to follow at all times.

Leave No Trace reminds us to respect other users of the outdoors, including future generations. Appreciation for our natural environment and a knowledge of the interrelationships of nature bolster our respect for and reverence of the environment and nature.

Leave No Trace is an awareness and an attitude rather than a set of values. The principles of Leave No Trace apply in your backyard or local park as much as in the backcountry. Scouts and Scouters who complete the Leave No Trace requirements are entitled to wear the Leave No Trace temporary patch (No. 8630). No. 21-105. The temporary patch (No. 8630) may be bought within the Scout Shop at the Marriott Scout Service Center after completing the following requirements.

Leave No Trace Scout Requirements

• Recite and explain the principles of Leave No Trace.
• On three separate camping/backpacking trips demonstrate and practice the principles of Leave No Trace.
• Earn the camping and Environmental Science Merit Badges.
• Participate in a Leave No Trace service project.
• Give a 10-minute presentation on a Leave No Trace topic approved by your Scoutmaster.
• Draw a poster or build a model to demonstrate the differences in how we camp or travel in high-use and pristine areas.

Learn More about Leave No Trace

More information about Leave No Trace can be obtained by contacting your local office of the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, the National Park Service, or the Fish and Wildlife Service. (Check the blue pages of your local telephone directory.) Or, contact Leave No Trace toll free at 800-332-4100 or at the Leave No Trace Website.

For posters, plastic cards listing the Leave No Trace principles, or information on becoming a Leave No Trace sponsor, contact Leave No Trace Inc., P.O. Box 997, Boulder, CO 80306; phone 303-442-8222.

2013 Course Offerings:

• March 15-17 at Camp William B. Snyder, Haymarket, VA (registration closed)
• April 12-14 at Izaak Walton League, Germantown, MD  (click here to register)