Tread Lightly?

[Bruce Tolley]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with how Tread Lightly! has been rolled out in their local Councils. I see it now added to the new First Class Requirements. From trolling the BSA website, it seems that there are now three components to “Outdoor Awareness Ethics” 1) the BSA outdoor code, 2) LNT principles and 3) Tread Lightly Principles.  Seems like hardly any 1st Class Scouts are driving 4WD vehicles to the trailhead. Although maybe some of the Dads might want to get the Tread Lightly Jeep discount. I have found the biggest challenge to teaching 12,13, and 14 year olds LNT is their need to a) unlearn car camping habits and b) use their own judgment to minimize and disperse impact.

[Jake J]

I haven’t seen much in regards to it in our council yet (Greater Los Angeles Area Council) as the new books have just rolled out. And most of the younger scouts in our troop who are working through the ranks up until first class will be using the old book until they hit first class or the beginning of 2016, whichever comes firs it’s a bridge we have yet to cross. The new scouts from our feeder cub scout pack will be coming in in the next few months and will be using the new book so we will have to start looking into it then.

That being said, I have some experience with Tread Lightly! as it’s part of the program that we follow with the Land Rover Club that I am involved with. We have a few members that are Tread Lightly! trainers and we also go over Tread Lightly! principals at the beginning of each trail run we do during the drivers meeting before we set off for the day.

[Bruce Tolley]

@Jake

Yes it makes perfect sense to me in regard to the drivers and operators of vehicles and other motor craft. I did find some of the Cub Scout materials on Scouting.org. I shall stay tuned.  Thx

[Brian Crain]

TL! isn’t just motorized/mechanized and off roading. It encompasses all aspects of outdoor recreation, including overlapping everything that LNT covers. There’s a few differences in the program and execution but the 5 TL! principles are pretty much interchangeable with the 7 LNT principles. I’m a TL! Master Trainer down here in So Cal (CIEC Council) and will be holding a TL! Trainers course late spring. If you don’t have any Master trainers up north let me know and we could work out schedules, I can travel up there for a session.

[Walter Underwood]

Tread Lightly was dropped from the First Class requirements Jan 1, 2024.

The activities covered by Tread Lightly that aren’t addressed by LNT are mostly not approved for Scouting anyway.

[jscott]

Every time I see one of those commercials showing trucks bumping along in wilderness areas, I want to scream ”get that piece of crap out of here!!”

That said, I like the idea of designated areas for  off road vehicles and (especially) snowmobiles. that way I can avoid them. Each to their own.

[Grace A]

About time! I always wondered what the point was  – seemed like they were casting about for a different set of principles of Outdoor Ethics to require for each rank and made a bad choice.  I’m sure TL principles are good guidelines for people who do the activities they were developed for – but those aren’t generally Scouting activities.

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