Soft Paths: Preface to the 2nd Edition

Preface to the Second Edition

An excerpt from Soft Paths

Since the first edition of this book was published in 1987, the need to enjoy the wilderness without harming it has become increasingly profound. Wilderness use and impact continue to grow at an astonishing rate, making it more imperative than ever to walk on "soft paths."

The first edition of Soft Paths greatly expanded public awareness of camping and travel practices that minimize the damage caused by nonmotorized recreation in wildlands. A national program called Leave No Trace has continued this effort. Originally a U.S. Forest Service initiative, the program has evolved and now combines the talents and expertise of four federal land management agencies -- U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- with those of a number of non-agency partners, including wilderness schools, conservation organizations, and sporting good manufacturers. Since 1991, the program has been administered and its curriculum and practices developed by the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Building on the material originally presented in Soft Paths, Leave No Trace (LNT) has produced pamphlets, videos, and training courses to educate wildland user groups, federal land management agencies, and the public on the best minimum-impact techniques for a variety of environments including alpine areas, coasts, deserts, rivers, and lakes. In the future, as participation in the program increases, you may see LNT messages in magazines and on the packaging of sporting goods. Readers of Soft Paths will recognize parallels between the messages in this book and those of the LNT program.

Additionally, new research has been conducted since the first edition was published. The results of this work helps us prescribe better minimum-impact techniques for wilderness use. Many readers have asked us for expanded discussions of the rationale behind recommended camping practices. We have tried to include this new research and provide more explanation without getting into too much technical detail.

We also felt it was time to address minimum-impact use of pack stock in wilderness. In more than half of all wilderness areas, travel with pack stock is a traditional and accepted use that accounts for over 10 percent of all visitation. Pack stock users, too, are recognizing the importance of minimizing impacts to the land and this edition of Soft Paths outlines some of those techniques. The expertise and help of several veteran horsepackers as well as experience gleaned from 30 years at the NOLS Three Peaks Ranch in Boulder, Wyoming, contributed to this new chapter.

Some of the recommended practices have been changed from the first edition on the basis of additional field experience, and we have incorporated Leave No Trace principles into the text. Statistics, graphs, and photos have been updated; the Bibliography has been expanded for those who want additional sources of information; and an index provides easier access to specific subject matter.

It is clear that wild country travelers want to invest in the future of the lands they love to explore. We are grateful for the interest and enthusiasm that the original Soft Paths and the Leave No Trace program have generated. Acknowledgment of the great gift of American wilderness is growing, so too is the willingness to develop a new relationship with the lands that bring us so much joy.

Order a copy of Soft Paths by calling (888) 332-3636.

Published by: STACKPOLE BOOKS, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

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