Tongass National Forest

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Please Leave No Trace

Please use these Leave No Trace principles for your trip to a Forest Service cabin:

1) Plan Ahead and Be Prepared:

• Plan your trip to meet your expectations. Using the proper equipment, knowledge of the area and weather conditions, packaging of your gear, and being honest about your skills and abilities in the wilderness will make your experience more rewarding and less impacting on the wilderness setting.

2) Pack It In, Pack It Out:

• When preparing for your trip, repackage food into reusable containers or remove any excess packaging. This simple practice lessens the amount of garbage you will need to pack out.
• Please don't leave extra food or discarded gear in the cabin. Leftover food will attract rodents and other animals. Please pack out camping equipment.

3) Leave What You Find:

• Minimize site alterations by leaving the site as you found it.
• Avoid damaging live animals and plants. Harassment of the wild animals will only drive them away from the site, taking away from the enjoyment of other visitors. Avoid hammering nails into trees for hanging things or hacking at them with hatchets and saws.
• Leave natural objects and cultural artifacts for all to see and enjoy. If the people before you had taken an object, then you would not be able to enjoy it. Respect the future users by leaving those items behind.

4) Use Fire Responsibly:

• Firewood for use at the cabin, has been cut by cross-cut saws. This non-motorized method is used to promote solitude and maintain the primitive nature of wilderness. Please bear this in mind and use firewood in moderation. Please do not use cut firewood for your outside fires. Please read instructions for the efficient use of the wood stove and firewood gathering techniques for outdoor fires.

By considering these suggestions, you will reduce the impacts to the area, assure that your expectations are fulfilled, and provide the same experience for the next visitor to this cabin. Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy your stay in the Tongass National Forest.