Backcountry Horsemen of California

Header Image of BCHC Members on a Trail.
Leave No Trace logo image

The Seven Leave No Trace Principles for BCHC Members/Stock Users

These 3”x5” recycled plastic reference cards are made to last and may be purchased from Wilderness Rider Steering Committee Chair or on the LNT website.

(Front)

Front of LNT Card.

(Back)

Back of LNT Card.

NOTE DATE CHANGE:
LNT MASTER STOCK COURSE
April 6 - 10, 2026
at Bowerman Barn north of Weaverville, CA on Hwy 3
Cost is $750
Contact Ruthie Heuer if you are interested in attending or have questions:
(559) 560-6161
The Leave No Trace Master course offers an in-depth introduction to LNT principles, the ethics of proper wild lands responsibility. You will be given ways and means to teach others these principles as well as options to chose from.
BCHC's goal is to have at least one LNT Master/Wilderness Rider in every unit in the state. As a Wilderness Rider, you have a responsibility to your unit, community, and agencies you represent. We hope you decide to accept this position.


Leave No Trace

The Center for Outdoor Ethics provides innovative education, skills, research and science to help people care for the outdoors. By working with the public and public lands managers, Leave No Trace focuses on educating people—instead of costly restoration programs or access restrictions—as the most effective and least resource-intensive solution to land protection.

Backcountry Horsemen of California joined in a valuable partnership with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in 2011. Leave No Trace principles aligned well with Backcountry Horsemen’s “Gentle Use” principles. In advancing Leave No Trace’s mission and using its tools, BCHC can more effectively educate its members and, thus, achieve its purpose of promoting the conservation and utilization of our backcountry resources.

The seven Leave No Trace principles provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors and can be applied anywhere.

  • Plan ahead and prepare
  • Dispose of waste properly
  • Travel and camp on durable surfaces
  • Minimize campfire impacts
  • Respect wildlife
  • Leave what you find
  • Be considerate of others

BCHC is a leader in providing Leave No Trace education and training and is one of only 11 organizations in the U.S. authorized to run the five-day Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor Course.

BCHC is the single provider of the Leave No Trace Master Educator Course in California. This is the most comprehensive course offered by Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. In this five-day field-based course, participants learn Leave No Trace through a variety of techniques including discussions, scenarios, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Graduates of the course are the most highly certified stewards and teachers of LNT principles.

To learn more about the Center for Outdoor Ethics and Leave No Trace , visit their website.

When beginning a Leave No Trace program, the LNT Group Use Brochure is designed to help groups develop and adopt Leave No Trace practices.

Watch Smoke Elser, Bob Hoverson and others in this informational Leave No Trace for Stock Users - Video Series, produced by the USDA and the US Forest Service National Technology & Development Program in cooperation with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Announcements for LNT classes will be posted on this website and publicized in the Backcountry News when plans are made.

For more information about BCHC’s Leave No Trace program contact BCHC's LNT Coordinator.