Here's the new Leave No Trace Trainer patch for the troop leadership position starting in January.

I have not yet seen the requirements or expectations of holding that position, except for rumors that completing an official "Leave No Trace Trainer" course is required before wearing the patch.

A LNT Trainer course runs about 16 hours over a weekend. Once a scout completes the LNT Trainer course, he can then lead LNT Workshops which are typically around 2 hours of training to present the seven LNT Principles. Participants that complete a LNT Workshop can receive a certificate which is required to backpack in some wilderness areas. This is perfect for this position and I expect the LNT scout will be asked to present workshops each year.

We've been having scouts present LNT principles within our troop and to local Cub Scout dens already, so we've got guys that could step into this role now if they want. There are some fun, interactive ways to present the principles at LeaveNoTraceDude.com which give a taste of LNT in a short, active session - not enough to call it a workshop or get a certificate, but good introduction or supplements.

LNT Trainer courses typically cost $25 to $75 - even the low end of that will put a real damper on scouts stepping up to this new position. I hope some of the plans for this new position include a lower-cost way to train the scouts. And, with such an expense, I expect troops will want a scout to stay in the role for more than the usual 4 or 6 months needed for rank advancement.

I'm a LNT Master Educator and am excited that LNT is being promoted in the BSA a little more now. The changes in the new Scout Handbook and this new position give LNT more exposure. Now, we need to follow through and train scouts and scouters in how to follow LNT principles as our normal practice.

There is a website under construction at outdoorethics-bsa.org that appears to be a BSA site about the Leave No Trace program. The domain name was registered this spring to a person in "northwest region venturing" and the contact email on the site is a @netbsa.org address. Maybe this will be the home for LNT in the BSA at some point.

Scout On

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