Hot Spot

Lassen Volcanic National Park 2018

Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA

Lassen Volcanic National Park in California is home to jagged peaks, high mountain lakes, meadows filled with wildflowers and numerous volcanoes. In the last couple of years, the park has seen a rise in both frontcountry day-use visitors and overnight visitors in the backcountry. The Twin Lakes area in particular has seen a rise in visitors and backcountry impacts including campsite degradation, illegal campfires and a dramatic increase in human-bear interactions. The most pressing issue is the severe erosion to historic campsites that lay within 100 ft. of the lake. The degradation of these sites and their close proximity to the water create an increased risk for water quality issues.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is working with Leave No Trace to promote wilderness stewardship using LNT principles so that visitors can enjoy an unspoiled experience while visiting the Lassen Volcanic Wilderness.Deirdre Hanners, Lassen Volcanic National Park Wilderness Coordinator

Solution

During their time on-site, the Leave No Trace team ran two workshops for park staff. These workshops were focused on techniques for effectively communicating Leave No Trace practices to the visiting public. Education and Interpretation Department Staff reported the workshop to be one of the most valuable trainings of the year. The team was also able to educate numerous park visitors during a campground presentation and booth at the Twin Lakes trailhead. At the trailhead booth they were able to discuss the importance of using bear canisters with backpackers, as well as share advice for how to properly select campsites. The campfire program was the best attended event of the week and the team was able to use this interactive program to educate visitors on preventing the various impacts threatening the park.

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