Some additions: 1) Volunteer with nonprofits dedicated to public lands in your area. You can do trail maintenance, large trash pick ups, etc. that will be really impactful. 2) Buy your next pack with trash removal space in mind. For busy trails near Denver, I’ll bring a backpacking pack with dedicated plastic barrels for trash removal. On a day pack, you can use a water bottle holder to hold a capped piece of PVC to make a mini trash can so trash isn’t in your pack with food, clothes, etc. 3) Don’t just write trip reports - photo and video document problems. When big decisions are made about public lands there is often an open period for the public to give their comments to government agencies making and implementing such decisions. If you testify online or in person, photos and videos are very impactful.
Yes!!! Volunteer!!! I personally do volunteer trail maintenance in the PNW about once a month and it is incredibly rewarding as a hiker/backpacker and a MAJOR way to give back to the places we all love as hikers and backpackers. I do also agree with the simple things we can all do while out on trail. Great video!
No they can't and the WILL NOT, all these idiots are too busy trying to be youtube famous to actually care about nature and take responsibility for the problems they have caused
Fun fact: Sweden doesn't need to hire these seasonal workers because Sweden isn't full of digusting pigs with backpacks like North America is... Sweden's Allemansrätten (The Right of Public Access) is taken seriously by Swedes and they look after the environment - ALL OF THEM...
As someone who works for a federal land agency…thank you for bringing awareness to this ❤. I know so many people who have no idea how budget cuts are harming our lands.
As one of the few permanent employees left in the Forest Service thank you for talking about this. I never thought someone at a GS seven level would have to deal so much with the budget, but we do daily trying to figure out how we’re going to get our own salary paid and how we’re going to get the work we need to do done because the government doesn’t give us any money for it so we have to go looking for grants and partners, it’s very very challenging.
On some level, it sounds like it is up to us to do a bit more than our part. Even if you only pick one piece of trash, it does make a difference. Leave it better than you found it!
Thanks for this video, Miranda! I work for the DNR in Minnesota and hike many of our state parks. I love how you remember Leave No Trace. So stinking clever! I've shared this video on my FB page because all my hiking buds need to know this. Thanks for the awesome work you, Rainer, and your team do! ❤
I am a teacher within an inner-city district, and every year for the past couple of years, I have taken my students hiking. But before we go on our hiking field trip, we have an entire unit that we go through, which covers the 10 essentials and also the leave no trace principles. Every single one of my students can recognize the LBT principles by the hand gestures and can tell you what they mean and why they are important. We also go through reading trail blazes. Some of my students had never been on a hike before and may never hike after leaving our schools, but I am very proud that all have at least been exposed and know how to enjoy the outdoors safely.
This is exactly the kind of work that makes respecting and maintaining our trails common knowledge instead of niche knowledge!! Thank you for taking the time to help your students learn these things!
@@hikinggsdmom8754 What a fantastic way to teach science along with civics and other subjects. You don't mention which grade you teach, but you probably know about the free National Parks Pass every 4th grader is eligible to receive, the pass allows the 4th grader to bring their entire family to all the national parks and other designated parks for free.
love what you do greatly! as someone who didnt grow up outdoorsy people like you are who make it accessible and approachable. sending much love!! thats awesome work youre doing!
Thank you for being exactly the kind of teacher you are!!!!! Kids NEED these kinds of experiences and this kind of learning. Especially from the inner city when this might be a very rare or even unheard of experience. That hiking trip is such a positive on so many levels. It might be the best natural science lesson they ever have or remember. For a number of students, I'm sure it's their first time spending a day in nature outside of the city, and a great source of exercise and fresh air. Seeing plants and animals and natural beauty and gaining an appreciation for them. You are truly setting the future stewards of our planet out in a positive direction!!!!
When I was 18 I had someone at the Grand Canyon politely explain why I should not go off trail on switchbacks. It changed the way I thought about my place in protecting the environment. Thanks for doing the same on a much larger scale!
Miranda, thank you for bringing the forest employees' dilemma to our attention. They are the ones who find us when we are lost, guide us to the best places, and spot forest fires. I am very disappointed this is happening, especially when experiencing many forest fires. I will be contacting my representatives, and I hope everyone who watches this can do the same. It is a huge disservice to not only us but also our lands, which many take advantage of and do not appreciate.
For micro trash and broken glass, I often bring an empty pill bottle and put the pieces in there. That way the glass doesn't shred my trash bag and small pieces don't slip out on me!
This is a good idea. I have empty pill bottles and I think empty PB jars would be good for slightly larger trash. I just usually pick up as much as possible and either carry in a dog poop bag or my pocket, depending on what it is.
Love that this is being addressed by folks who have the best opportunity to shine a brighter light on this topic! It would also behoove the hiking/backpacking content creation community to donate a portion of their content income (say 10%) to creating and/or subsidizing regional/local trail maintenance and improvement/education organizations as their social media content is a very significant contributor to why our trails and natural areas are being "loved to death" by the increase of visitors to areas that simply are not capable of handling - much less recovering from the sheer numbers anymore. Giving back directly to the very thing that so many have made a very comfortable income and lifestyle from isn't much of an ask. These county/state/Fed budgets are only going to be subjected to more and greater cutbacks(as well as being opened up for drilling, ranching, mining and other such uses), especially in the near future. I'm a firm believer in our national defense and I'm not taking digs at our military, but to illustrate the numbers and put it more into perspective, the cuts to US Forestry alone would be easily offset by deleting just two F35 fighter jets from the current order "of dozens" from the Pentagon's Joint Strike Force Program (actual numbers of the order are not given, and for good reason). And that doesn't include the whole of the Dept of Interior. Another example is the overall cost of the bloated and mostly obsolete F35 program would have covered a 4 year college degree or trade school certification for every single current citizen of the US for the next 10 years. Just some food for thought. In the meantime, it is incumbent on each of us to become more personally and directly involved in the political process, as well as the stepping up to assist with the growing needs of our natural resources that we all enjoy or we will continue to lose access to it ever so gradually, but consistently.
thanks for bringing up the cost of the military!! we could get SO much done if we stopped overfunding the military. national defense is a consideration, but you can’t convince me we need THIS many fighter jets and stuff to either just sit there or quietly commit war crimes in the middle east 😅
They’ve been cutting away at our budget for several decades now. My particular department used to have 20 people. We now have two. We know contract out our work and we are the supervisors or monitors for that work instead of doing it ourselves. Not my preferred method of accomplishing things believe me, we are all very upset that our friends are not returning to work next year and it is going to make work very challenging for those of us that are left here because there are not enough people to get things done and as you have stated things are definitely going to fall to the wayside no matter how hard we try
@SoloHiker1 oh wow I didn't realize you worked for the national parks systems! 😯 how did you know that 20 people were doing the work of 2 when the person above just said they need to now contract out so much work to keep up??? 😯😯😯😯
@@SoloHiker1 WOW!!! Was there some right-wing Batman-like Signal flashed in the clouds to bring folks like you out of the woodwork in these comments. I spent YEARS with this agency (decades, actually) and NEVER saw a situation of people slacking (like you are insinuating). I'll send you a link, if you like, where you can sign up as a volunteer and show all us current and former slacker fed employees how it's done....
I'm not american but this is happening in my country too. It's so frustrating where we've just gone through a chunk of years where we all depended so much on outdoor spaces and the arts to cope... and now those things are being defunded.
As someone who works on a trail crew with the Forest Service, I appreciate you bringing this to people’s attention! Trails and day-use areas are certainly going to suffer with the lack of staffing, but I hope this will be a good example of why these temporary seasonal positions are so essential. Thanks Miranda ❤
Keep the planet how you want it! Help out, pitch in. We are stronger in a group! It's going to be up to us. Stay prepared and aware. I love the planet and Miranda. Thanks for the awareness!
Adjacent to the trail log/permit - have a writing utensil in an easily accessible part of your pack, don't trust there to be one that works at the permit station (even moreso with staffing going down).
The one trailhead I visited this summer that asked us to fill out a permit didn't have any permits available. I took a photo and filled it out on my phone just in case I ran across a ranger, but I didn't. So, sadly, they weren't getting any information about trail usage there.
I've started hiking with my kids (5&3) just day hikes right now. They each get a small trash bag. And we make a game out of finding trash. Whoever finds the most wins. It keeps them engaged, looking around, and enjoying nature. Another plus side is if they see someone dropping trash, they will tell them they are breaking the rules. Only jerks will argue with a child, so most of the time, it gives me an opportunity to tell them about leave no trace if they are new or give a gentle reminder.
As they start growing older and are able to understand the reasoning more, it would be good to teach them that it's not just good to pick up trash and not litter because it's following the rules, but those rules are there to keep our forest beautiful and the Animals safe and happy
Also! Just as important to do all these things at State Forests too! I was able to sign a petition when I was checking out of a campground to get more staffing more days at one of my favorite local forests.
@@RainerGoldenHey Rainer. Big fan. As a nearly 70 years old advocate of LNT and just generally not relying on Government (capital G intentional) I wonder if you and Miranda could do a proactive, hyper-awareness video on being excellent backpackers and campers? (...cause you are...). Also, even though it's not your particular thing, some words on campfire safety would be welcome. Thanx. I appreciate you do.
What’s honestly so frustrating is the fact that despite these cuts the permit and campground costs have gone up as a result. Which means not only are there fewer staff, but as a hiker and backpacker it becomes harder to visit some of these more maintained and popular trails so in general it’s just a frustrating situation all around. Especially since interest in the outdoors has increased since the pandemic. It’s really a shame that government has not met this demand with the budget cuts.
Thank you for putting out this video. Only thing I would add would be to contact your representatives. They work for us regardless what party they are or we are.
Thanks for the info! I've been backpacking since the early 70s. I've seen the trails and park systems become more and more populated to the point I have to go way out into the wilds to feel like I'm in the wilds. I pick up trash on the trail routinely and it use to take an entire trip to fill a small bags worth. Now I can fill a small bag within hours on a trail. My wife and I occasionally hike with the sole purpose of picking up trash, in which case we carry two kitchen size garbage bags with us. We've picked up(Carefully using sticks), Adult diapers, tampons, baby diapers, dog poop bags, bottles, cans, wrappers, broken hiking gear, trail maps etc. It takes such minimal forethought to plan on carrying out your own trash. You can't tell me that if you're an adult in diapers, a woman in menstruation, a parent with a baby in diapers, that you're not expecting to want to change those items out. These are probably the same kind of people who scream the loudest if someones dog lifted a leg on their fence post at home. I'll keep doing what I'm doing despite the disrespect of others, and I'll fight for their right to be out in these great public lands of ours. I guess I only know how to complain. I don't know how to change peoples behaviors. Oh, and I also carry a small Silky saw with me to clear downfall across trails. I've thought about carrying a Katana Boy Silky saw to clear major downfall but that kind of work is for the younger people out there. Wink, wink...Any takers?
Thanks for the work that y’all do! We pick up garbage as well and bring disposable gloves with us. We also love woodworking and landscaping tools so now I’ll look up those tools!
Where I hike in Kentucky all trail maintenance is done by volunteers under the guidance of one Forest Service employee. I never see any other rangers or anyone, no one enforces the rules, at least not that I've ever heard of. If they simply gave tickets on any weekend for illegal camp sites and littering they could pay for one person's salary for a year.
Thank you for this video. Ever since elementary school I’ve wanted to work for the forest service after going on a field trip and meeting rangers for the first time. I’m studying environmental science rn in college to help me prepare for it. I’m disappointed that now it’ll be harder for me to potentially get a job in the career I’ve been planning to join for years. So thank you for the awareness of the situation to your audience, as a hopefull future forest service work it’s very much appreciated 😁😁
Well, I know how us Hikers can start giving back to our local trails. Offer our own to hands to help. I'm so excited and will be sharing this with people around me.
@@scotimottiYou are right about one thing - individual litterbugs and similar Entitlement minded people creating the biggest problems. What individuals wreck, individuals can fix. No big government intervention needed here.
Thanks ever so much Miranda, not for merely announcing the changes, but for providing such a proactive and positive response that every hiker & backpacker can take action on!!! I'm Canadian, and haven't been hiking in the US in a couple of decades, but this advice applies to every one around the world :D Oh, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE! your visual mnemonics for the 7 Principals of Leave No Trace! I'll be practicing them and teaching them to my kids - so much fun! Last but not least, a big shout out to Rainer, made me jump and laugh out loud, until that videobomb at the end, I thought you were doing another solo hike! ROFL!
A clarification, as it was a little confusing from your intro, the FS will still be hiring temporary seasonals for fire. Also, the FS did a huge transition from temp seasonals to permanent seasonals (of which I am one). So it's not that there will be NO seasonals doing this work, but there will be considerably less.
Thank you, Miranda (and Rainer!) for this video! I've only heard and felt the negative side of this so far; and had been feeling angry both on behalf of the workers (both seasonal who count on those jobs and the remaining full-time workers who are stuck with so much more work and such fewer resources); and for the impact on the parks and trails we love and want to protect. I appreciate that your video takes it from there and shows that WE are EMPOWERED to help save and care for these areas, educate others, provide feedback that might help with current issues and future funding, and look forward to future voting opportunities that might bring some attention and funding back to the US Forest Service.
Thank you Miranda Goes Outside and Grumpy Forester for discussing the sad issue of trail garbage. I am a trail steward and clean all my trails and fire roads-wherever I go hiking. I carry out bags of waste and recyclable commodities everywhere I go. Looking forward to following you, Miranda! Thank you for your wonderful videos and outreach 🙏❤️
Great subject to bring forward. This decade has seen a surge in backcountry use not seen since the 1970s. And a incredible surge in folks with no outdoor experiance and knowledge in basic sanitation, navigation, or their physical limits. My local National Forest did do their best in increasing the number of FT recreation staffers from WIlderness to skiing management. Even those positions are in peril with the changes are going on in Washington. Please mob your representatives and let them know how much your Federally managed public lands mean to you.
American author Ed Abbey was a part-time park ranger and used that time to write. Monkey Wrench Gang is a great book for folks thinking about protecting the outdoors. His other books are great too, but everybody starts with Monkey Wrench Gang.
@@johnrodgers2018 Great starting point. I studied with Abbey's biographer and he loved them all except Hayduke Lives. I kept writing papers about the importance of Hayduke Lives just to rile him up a bit.
@@johnm.withersiv4352 that's funny. Desert Solitaire was life changing for me. Never quite got into his fiction, brave cowboy was my favorite but never got round to Hayduke lives and probably never will. I used to be big into environmentalism but after reading a lot of John McPhee I find myself more pragmatic on the subject.
It's insane how decades of work of preservation of beautiful wilderness and forrest are being undone in just a few short years. This is the worst timeline.
I’ll be surprised if we make it through a year without a complete government shutdown. I guess we’ll all be lucky if the Grand Canyon isn’t turned into a giant strip mine in the next four years.
@@NoIsYLaUgH by _"accidentally"_ not sending 5 billion to Iran 😅.... By *ACTUALLY* protecting and taking care of our country for once... That includes our forest and wildlife 😂
The point about respect and kindness is so key. There will be less USFS staff in the field now to professionally provide guidance and education, and so at times it will fall to us to be great examples, stewards and educators for each other. I admit I did go trail vigilante Batman on someone brazenly cutting switchbacks once 😅. But kindness is best. YAWPS for kindness!!
Thank you, Miranda and Rainer!!! This is such valuable information. It is shocking to know what cuts are being made to these important causes. I will definitely be getting in touch with my Congressman about this. God bless you two (and the crew) for all of your wonderful, happy videos! You make life sooooo much better!!! BIG HUGS!
Unfortunately my congressman is a part of the problem, and in no way interested in solving it. If it doesn't make the rich (like him) richer and/or hurt the people he scapegoats, he doesn't see any point in it.
Keeping up with these updates is crucial, especially for someone as passionate about outdoor exploration as you are. Thank you for the info! It sounds like it's time for all of us to step up!
This last backpacking season I decided to hit a new trail, in an underused area of the closest designated wilderness. There were downed trees and mild overgrowth, from within half mile of the trailhead. We got less than 3 miles in before the trail was completely gone. Based on the age of the most recently cut logs it had already been at least three or four years since the last time the trail had been maintained.
I was scared of this Florida is already saying trailheads are closed and primitive isn't allowed due to conditions that are non existent...I thought it was understandable at first but It's becoming more consistent yet R.V and Glamping are thriving...
I've been teaching principles of leave no trace for 7 years as a Scoutmaster and I think I just found my new favorite way to explain it. Thank you for sharing your outdoor experience/knowledge and making people excited about the outdoors!
as a seasonal worker with the national park service and an avid outdoor adventurer thank you so much for making this video. i was devastated and scared by the budget cuts for the forest service and how it even might be foreshadowing for the national park service. i am scared for our natural spaces and have been doing my best to post and educate family and friends about leave no trace and how to protect mother earth. this video is incredible thank you so much!!
Thanks for this video. There are also opportunities to volunteer on trail crews. I work on a trail crew with Cal State Parks one day a week in the north coast area keeping trails open by clearing downed trees, etc. Nice way to help out while enjoying the great outdoors.
Miranda, thanks for sharing this valuable information, and bringing the USFS budget and personnel issues to our attention. Keeping our Nation’s national treasures and wild places protected and preserved is critical for future generations to enjoy. I really appreciate your efforts and for exposing us to many of the beautiful National Forests in the Pacific Northwest. Keep up the great work!
Living in Maine, the baxter state park method of required reservations is something I have come to appreciate so greatly. Keeps out the social media chasers and limits impacts. Same with the gates and rough gravel roads in the North Maine Woods. Its not easy to implement and I get why people don't like it but it works
I've never worked for the USFS (nps employee here) but I don't think people realize how vital seasonal employees are. At least in the NPS, if you see someone out working a frontline position and they're NOT a supervisor, that's most likely a seasonal employee. The USFS has made more of an effort to convert a lot of their seasonals to career seasonal positions, which helps, but the difference is still going to be visible and noticeable. Working at NPS sites people constantly complain about maintenance and repair issues. People have said to me on multiple occasions, "What, you don't get ENOUGH money??" No! We don't! The maintenance backlog for federal lands is massive, it's just not always visible because public facing areas get the most care. You as the visitor don't see the decaying, vermin-infested living quarters, workspaces without running water or working bathrooms, rusted-out old work vehicles. I don't understand the lack of priority placed on our federal land areas. As americans, this is our pride! This is our flagship attraction to the world! Very few other places have a federal lands system like ours and tourists from all around the world come just to see these places. Surely that's something that we would want to promote, and keep in the best condition possible.
Thanks for making this video. This doesn't surprise me since it seems that the Forest Service has been reducing costs and staffing for the last 40 to 50 years. The solution the Forest Service has found to get funds here in southern California is to implement an "Adventure Pass" which is a $5 per day or $30 per year pass that allows you to park your car in most areas of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres and Cleveland National Forest. I suspect this will become a nationwide requirement in the future since the concept of this Adventure Pass has been upheld in court. California Parks are even worse. In most cases it now costs $10 just to park your car in a state park. Campground fees have gone up across the board as well. Fortunately there are a lot of dedicated and awesome volunteers that help out.
Thanks for bringing this topic up. I spend the majority of my time in unmaintained forests and it’s been a growing problem with debris on the trail. Forestry cuts affect everyone so it’s vitally important that we all do our part to support our trails and outdoor spaces
We ran into a forest service volunteer on the trail yesterday, who shared how impactful volunteering is, anywhere from one day per month to several days a week. Apply direct with the forest service on their website. We are definitely volunteering.
Bummer for the seasonal employees as well. Where I live in Italy the local hiking clubs monitor and take care of trails. There is also a organization called plastic free that does trash pickup. I wonder if the US could do something similar. I still find plenty of microtrash to pick up along the trail. The thing that I hate however is that when I go to pee, I often find used toilet paper and today I found a pad. Not something I pickup (but maybe I should bring gloves and do it??? ) I'm a happy user of circle care a reusable cloth for wiping. I just leave it on my backpack to dry and wash it the evening when I get home.
It sounds like a forthcoming video or two about extra trash pick-up, packing out waste, and other aspects of voluntary clean-up beyond the requirements are going to be worth making . . . and watching.
I think of myself as a pretty responsible hiker, but you gave some tips that I wasn't aware of. I hope this video gets a whole lot of traction. Also thank you so much for your positivity.
Miranda this video is so excellent. Thank you! I feel like this should be playing on a t.v. in every NP visitor center in the country-so educational and important.
Thank you for educating us Miranda on some basics of trail behavior and etiquette as well as the changes on the horizon. You managed to do it thoroughly and quite charmingly as well. Nicely done. The backpacking scenario has changed a lot since the mid sixties when I started out in my 60/40 parka and Trailwise external frame pack haha Happy Trails
That’s so sad to hear. I really hope everyone does their part to keep trails clean and safe for all. Oh and Rainer now needs his own merch “ I’ll also see you outside!” 😂
The Shoshone National Forest here in WY was unable to hire any seasonal employees this year also. My college, Central Wyoming College has a partnership the allows us to help with campsite monitoring in Wilderness areas. There are many opportunities for partnerships like this, and the seasonal permanent employees who are Wilderness rangers are probably more than happy to set up something like this if you have an organization the could do something like this.
I think there will absolutely be some growing pains. But as unrealistic as it maybe sounds, I do like the idea of citizens joining together to bring about positive outcomes. Less abstract lip-service activism of "save the world" and more applied action of "save your community / things you love." Fingers crossed we can spread the message.
Excellent video! Probably the best you’ve ever made! Thanks for hitting the hard topics and getting a much needed message out there! Voices for responsible outdoor recreation are needed now more than ever💓
I always pick up the small trash, a lot of corners from Cliff bars, chip bags, granola bars wrappers, twist ties and those plastic things to close bread bags. I do occasionally carry bulky stuff out if I am going to be going to town. Happy trails Miranda
If you're in WA State, the WTA (Washington Trails Assoc.) also has apps ("WTA Trailblazer"). They make it easier to remember that you can consult (and write) trial reports. As a longtime seasonal (both frontcountry and back) at many agencies (local, state, and national), I can confidently say this budget change is a foreseeable disaster for wildlands. I shudder to think what budgets will look like over the next 4 years...
It's your show gosh darn, and you are doing a gosh darn good job of it. Caring about who manages the land and how is the next step in being a responsible backpacker. Lands, trails, and parks don't come about magically; they take citizen effort to create, maintain and protect. Well done Miranda!
GREAT update ! In order to be able to best help the Forest Service, it would be useful to think of info useful to them when alerting them to trail issues. If / When I have to provide such an alert, I think a photo with a verbal description of the issue AND GPS coordinates would be the most straight forward and helpful to them. Certainly try to take care of the issue ourselves - but to a point. As mentioned, carrying out trash would be an obvious action. However, do not get carried away - leave trail modifications to the experts. AND look for opportunities to POSITIVELY educate novices on LNT.
Back when I was younger and could get a round easyer j one time hiked and backpacked a trail that one of the rules was every thing you took in you brought out including all waste.
We need this kind of a positive outlook on this issue. Between the changes to the forest service, the federal lawsuit in Utah, and the changing administration, there is lots of worry on my mind!
The calls to action, including voting, are excellent. We can all do something to leave the outdoors better than we found them. Spent recent days at NFS locations and I was yet again impressed by the roads, parking, camping/trail options, bathrooms, etc. I’m so thankful for the MGO community of people who love the outdoors and continue to put in the work to keep them wonderful for ourselves & our posterity. ❤
I don't think it is legally feasible but for some of these, it may be worth considering leasing out the land(in a way) to the state parks. My state, for instance, has managed to get the state parks so flush with cash by making use of FOMO and low price as you can get access to all the state parks by simply opting to pay $11 when renewing your license late tabs. So many people felt this deal couldn't be missed out on and now they have a surplus of cash. Obviously this sort of solution would only work for areas fully contained within a single state. Of course, this also comes with problems. My state's parks are so popular that reservations for camp sites fill nearly moments after they open up, unfortunately mostly by non-state residents leaving very little for people who actually live in the state.
Your state has an interesting solution, but it also illustrates a bigger problem. For decades the federal government has been offloading a lot of responsibilities and service burdens to state and local governments. This presents difficulties for the lower government entities because they don't have the same tax base as the federal government. Our congressional representatives aren't very responsive to lowly citizens anymore, instead catering just to special interests. There flat out is plenty of money for the forest service, but Congress chooses to allocate it to the defense department as well as basic corruption. It's not going to get any better with the incoming 2025 politicians either. Especially since Trump wants freaking Elon Musk to somehow "fix" the budget of "waste". Can't imagine Musk sees any value in protecting public lands.
I think one of the MAJOR things that should be mentioned with these cuts other than picking up garbage, is to make sure that even if the trail has a pit toilet that you should bring your own TP with you now since there is a much greater chance of it being out now. unroll a decent amount of TP and put it in a water proof bag and stick it in your pack.
Also keep in mind, in many places over the last few years trail crew positions transitioned to permanent positions from seasonal. So for example, my district only (and I say that with a grain of salt, because these were incredibly valued and skilled people) 3 of 25 employees with this news. And we manage parts of the CDT and very popular 1,000+ miles of trail. And trail operations will continue without a hitch. Obviously could be different in other places. But the direction the agency is going with all roles is offering more permanent job roles vs seasonal hires, in my field within wildland fire too. This will likely be the path into the future after this transitional ‘25 season.
Thanks for the notice. I would love to see the addition of more modern checkin options available for those more likely to scan a qr code on a sign to trigger a checkin with all the key info auto populated. who/whe/where etc. and I guess its possible something similar already occurs though I have never experieced it in this use case though they are more prevelant at "events"
I’m just a random lady from New Zealand but this video really hit home! Our national parks service aka the dept of conservation manages 1/3 of our total land for less than 1% of the budget - it’s tough out there for the DOC teams maintaining our trails and back country infrastructure eg toilets. Volunteers keep it going. Also - fill out all the logs!!! If you don’t log it it’s not a stat for funding!
Yep, when I was a boy, we were taught to cut down saplings, move rock, build tables and chairs, doing bushcraft everywhere, and build rock fireplaces. Now, to the present day, leave no trace principles are old. I like them…from an old vet, retired in the foothills of the Smokies.
Some additions:
1) Volunteer with nonprofits dedicated to public lands in your area. You can do trail maintenance, large trash pick ups, etc. that will be really impactful.
2) Buy your next pack with trash removal space in mind. For busy trails near Denver, I’ll bring a backpacking pack with dedicated plastic barrels for trash removal. On a day pack, you can use a water bottle holder to hold a capped piece of PVC to make a mini trash can so trash isn’t in your pack with food, clothes, etc.
3) Don’t just write trip reports - photo and video document problems. When big decisions are made about public lands there is often an open period for the public to give their comments to government agencies making and implementing such decisions. If you testify online or in person, photos and videos are very impactful.
Yes!!! Volunteer!!! I personally do volunteer trail maintenance in the PNW about once a month and it is incredibly rewarding as a hiker/backpacker and a MAJOR way to give back to the places we all love as hikers and backpackers. I do also agree with the simple things we can all do while out on trail. Great video!
No they can't and the WILL NOT, all these idiots are too busy trying to be youtube famous to actually care about nature and take responsibility for the problems they have caused
Great suggestions!
Awesome ideas!
Fun fact: Sweden doesn't need to hire these seasonal workers because Sweden isn't full of digusting pigs with backpacks like North America is... Sweden's Allemansrätten (The Right of Public Access) is taken seriously by Swedes and they look after the environment - ALL OF THEM...
As someone who works for a federal land agency…thank you for bringing awareness to this ❤. I know so many people who have no idea how budget cuts are harming our lands.
Maybe we shouldn't have sent so much money to Ukraine.
If you can’t see the washouts and other things you must be part of the problem 😅
@@derekweiland1857 That is not relevant at all, I don't want to go into all the reasons because this isn't the place.
@davidlawrenz2061 Sure it's relevant. This video is a discussion about how US tax payer money is spent.
@@derekweiland1857 ..or any ..
As one of the few permanent employees left in the Forest Service thank you for talking about this. I never thought someone at a GS seven level would have to deal so much with the budget, but we do daily trying to figure out how we’re going to get our own salary paid and how we’re going to get the work we need to do done because the government doesn’t give us any money for it so we have to go looking for grants and partners, it’s very very challenging.
On some level, it sounds like it is up to us to do a bit more than our part. Even if you only pick one piece of trash, it does make a difference. Leave it better than you found it!
Thanks for this video, Miranda! I work for the DNR in Minnesota and hike many of our state parks. I love how you remember Leave No Trace. So stinking clever! I've shared this video on my FB page because all my hiking buds need to know this. Thanks for the awesome work you, Rainer, and your team do! ❤
Where is the money going?
@@TheAngelicRider the rest of the federal budget. like guns and stuff...
@@TheAngelicRiderthar should be publicly posted information
I am a teacher within an inner-city district, and every year for the past couple of years, I have taken my students hiking. But before we go on our hiking field trip, we have an entire unit that we go through, which covers the 10 essentials and also the leave no trace principles. Every single one of my students can recognize the LBT principles by the hand gestures and can tell you what they mean and why they are important. We also go through reading trail blazes. Some of my students had never been on a hike before and may never hike after leaving our schools, but I am very proud that all have at least been exposed and know how to enjoy the outdoors safely.
This is exactly the kind of work that makes respecting and maintaining our trails common knowledge instead of niche knowledge!! Thank you for taking the time to help your students learn these things!
@@hikinggsdmom8754 What a fantastic way to teach science along with civics and other subjects. You don't mention which grade you teach, but you probably know about the free National Parks Pass every 4th grader is eligible to receive, the pass allows the 4th grader to bring their entire family to all the national parks and other designated parks for free.
love what you do greatly! as someone who didnt grow up outdoorsy people like you are who make it accessible and approachable. sending much love!! thats awesome work youre doing!
Thank you for being exactly the kind of teacher you are!!!!!
Kids NEED these kinds of experiences and this kind of learning. Especially from the inner city when this might be a very rare or even unheard of experience. That hiking trip is such a positive on so many levels. It might be the best natural science lesson they ever have or remember. For a number of students, I'm sure it's their first time spending a day in nature outside of the city, and a great source of exercise and fresh air. Seeing plants and animals and natural beauty and gaining an appreciation for them.
You are truly setting the future stewards of our planet out in a positive direction!!!!
When I was 18 I had someone at the Grand Canyon politely explain why I should not go off trail on switchbacks. It changed the way I thought about my place in protecting the environment. Thanks for doing the same on a much larger scale!
Miranda, thank you for bringing the forest employees' dilemma to our attention. They are the ones who find us when we are lost, guide us to the best places, and spot forest fires. I am very disappointed this is happening, especially when experiencing many forest fires. I will be contacting my representatives, and I hope everyone who watches this can do the same. It is a huge disservice to not only us but also our lands, which many take advantage of and do not appreciate.
Extremely well said!
For micro trash and broken glass, I often bring an empty pill bottle and put the pieces in there. That way the glass doesn't shred my trash bag and small pieces don't slip out on me!
This is a good idea. I have empty pill bottles and I think empty PB jars would be good for slightly larger trash. I just usually pick up as much as possible and either carry in a dog poop bag or my pocket, depending on what it is.
Great idea!
Your channel is maturing as you are becoming not just a UA-camr but a steward of the outdoors. 👍
Love that this is being addressed by folks who have the best opportunity to shine a brighter light on this topic! It would also behoove the hiking/backpacking content creation community to donate a portion of their content income (say 10%) to creating and/or subsidizing regional/local trail maintenance and improvement/education organizations as their social media content is a very significant contributor to why our trails and natural areas are being "loved to death" by the increase of visitors to areas that simply are not capable of handling - much less recovering from the sheer numbers anymore. Giving back directly to the very thing that so many have made a very comfortable income and lifestyle from isn't much of an ask. These county/state/Fed budgets are only going to be subjected to more and greater cutbacks(as well as being opened up for drilling, ranching, mining and other such uses), especially in the near future.
I'm a firm believer in our national defense and I'm not taking digs at our military, but to illustrate the numbers and put it more into perspective, the cuts to US Forestry alone would be easily offset by deleting just two F35 fighter jets from the current order "of dozens" from the Pentagon's Joint Strike Force Program (actual numbers of the order are not given, and for good reason). And that doesn't include the whole of the Dept of Interior. Another example is the overall cost of the bloated and mostly obsolete F35 program would have covered a 4 year college degree or trade school certification for every single current citizen of the US for the next 10 years. Just some food for thought.
In the meantime, it is incumbent on each of us to become more personally and directly involved in the political process, as well as the stepping up to assist with the growing needs of our natural resources that we all enjoy or we will continue to lose access to it ever so gradually, but consistently.
thanks for bringing up the cost of the military!! we could get SO much done if we stopped overfunding the military. national defense is a consideration, but you can’t convince me we need THIS many fighter jets and stuff to either just sit there or quietly commit war crimes in the middle east 😅
They’ve been cutting away at our budget for several decades now. My particular department used to have 20 people. We now have two. We know contract out our work and we are the supervisors or monitors for that work instead of doing it ourselves. Not my preferred method of accomplishing things believe me, we are all very upset that our friends are not returning to work next year and it is going to make work very challenging for those of us that are left here because there are not enough people to get things done and as you have stated things are definitely going to fall to the wayside no matter how hard we try
The problem is, those twenty workers only did the work of two.
@SoloHiker1 oh wow I didn't realize you worked for the national parks systems! 😯 how did you know that 20 people were doing the work of 2 when the person above just said they need to now contract out so much work to keep up??? 😯😯😯😯
@@SoloHiker1 WOW!!! Was there some right-wing Batman-like Signal flashed in the clouds to bring folks like you out of the woodwork in these comments. I spent YEARS with this agency (decades, actually) and NEVER saw a situation of people slacking (like you are insinuating). I'll send you a link, if you like, where you can sign up as a volunteer and show all us current and former slacker fed employees how it's done....
@@SoloHiker1 That's honestly pretty true for the some agencies in the federal government, but not the land management agencies.
Maybe your first task at work should be to create "Friends of Trails" or "Adopt a Trail" and let volunteers who love the trail take over.
I'm not american but this is happening in my country too. It's so frustrating where we've just gone through a chunk of years where we all depended so much on outdoor spaces and the arts to cope... and now those things are being defunded.
As someone who works on a trail crew with the Forest Service, I appreciate you bringing this to people’s attention! Trails and day-use areas are certainly going to suffer with the lack of staffing, but I hope this will be a good example of why these temporary seasonal positions are so essential. Thanks Miranda ❤
Keep the planet how you want it! Help out, pitch in. We are stronger in a group! It's going to be up to us. Stay prepared and aware. I love the planet and Miranda. Thanks for the awareness!
Adjacent to the trail log/permit - have a writing utensil in an easily accessible part of your pack, don't trust there to be one that works at the permit station (even moreso with staffing going down).
^ THIS
The one trailhead I visited this summer that asked us to fill out a permit didn't have any permits available. I took a photo and filled it out on my phone just in case I ran across a ranger, but I didn't. So, sadly, they weren't getting any information about trail usage there.
It's funny you said this because I added a pen to my backpack after seeing this video 😂
I've started hiking with my kids (5&3) just day hikes right now. They each get a small trash bag. And we make a game out of finding trash. Whoever finds the most wins. It keeps them engaged, looking around, and enjoying nature. Another plus side is if they see someone dropping trash, they will tell them they are breaking the rules. Only jerks will argue with a child, so most of the time, it gives me an opportunity to tell them about leave no trace if they are new or give a gentle reminder.
As they start growing older and are able to understand the reasoning more, it would be good to teach them that it's not just good to pick up trash and not litter because it's following the rules, but those rules are there to keep our forest beautiful and the Animals safe and happy
Also! Just as important to do all these things at State Forests too! I was able to sign a petition when I was checking out of a campground to get more staffing more days at one of my favorite local forests.
GREAT point! Thank you!
@@RainerGoldenHey Rainer. Big fan. As a nearly 70 years old advocate of LNT and just generally not relying on Government (capital G intentional) I wonder if you and Miranda could do a proactive, hyper-awareness video on being excellent backpackers and campers? (...cause you are...). Also, even though it's not your particular thing, some words on campfire safety would be welcome. Thanx. I appreciate you do.
What’s honestly so frustrating is the fact that despite these cuts the permit and campground costs have gone up as a result. Which means not only are there fewer staff, but as a hiker and backpacker it becomes harder to visit some of these more maintained and popular trails so in general it’s just a frustrating situation all around. Especially since interest in the outdoors has increased since the pandemic. It’s really a shame that government has not met this demand with the budget cuts.
What worries me is if the Federal Government over the next few years decides to privatize these parks, using budgetary reasons as the excuse.
@ agree. It’s a pretty scary thought that public lands would not be public anymore.
@@JDCheng Yup, privatize or open them up for more resource extraction. That is the plan, I'm sure. It's terrible.
Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe less people will go outside
@@bl-nb8fo I personally don’t think less people going outside is a good thing. It’s a great way to improve mental health among other things.
Thank you for putting out this video. Only thing I would add would be to contact your representatives. They work for us regardless what party they are or we are.
A video about volunteer trail maintenance would be an awesome follow up video. Amazing organizations in Washington.
Consecutive Miranda Goes Outside!! videos without a burp: 1
Thanks for the info! I've been backpacking since the early 70s. I've seen the trails and park systems become more and more populated to the point I have to go way out into the wilds to feel like I'm in the wilds. I pick up trash on the trail routinely and it use to take an entire trip to fill a small bags worth. Now I can fill a small bag within hours on a trail. My wife and I occasionally hike with the sole purpose of picking up trash, in which case we carry two kitchen size garbage bags with us. We've picked up(Carefully using sticks), Adult diapers, tampons, baby diapers, dog poop bags, bottles, cans, wrappers, broken hiking gear, trail maps etc. It takes such minimal forethought to plan on carrying out your own trash. You can't tell me that if you're an adult in diapers, a woman in menstruation, a parent with a baby in diapers, that you're not expecting to want to change those items out. These are probably the same kind of people who scream the loudest if someones dog lifted a leg on their fence post at home.
I'll keep doing what I'm doing despite the disrespect of others, and I'll fight for their right to be out in these great public lands of ours. I guess I only know how to complain. I don't know how to change peoples behaviors. Oh, and I also carry a small Silky saw with me to clear downfall across trails. I've thought about carrying a Katana Boy Silky saw to clear major downfall but that kind of work is for the younger people out there. Wink, wink...Any takers?
Thanks for the work that y’all do! We pick up garbage as well and bring disposable gloves with us. We also love woodworking and landscaping tools so now I’ll look up those tools!
Rainer's enthusiasm to say "byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..." was great
Where I hike in Kentucky all trail maintenance is done by volunteers under the guidance of one Forest Service employee. I never see any other rangers or anyone, no one enforces the rules, at least not that I've ever heard of. If they simply gave tickets on any weekend for illegal camp sites and littering they could pay for one person's salary for a year.
Thank you for this video. Ever since elementary school I’ve wanted to work for the forest service after going on a field trip and meeting rangers for the first time. I’m studying environmental science rn in college to help me prepare for it. I’m disappointed that now it’ll be harder for me to potentially get a job in the career I’ve been planning to join for years. So thank you for the awareness of the situation to your audience, as a hopefull future forest service work it’s very much appreciated 😁😁
Well, I know how us Hikers can start giving back to our local trails. Offer our own to hands to help. I'm so excited and will be sharing this with people around me.
Oh hell no....they are all rich UA-cam stars...no way they are going to actually touch trash or try to correct the problem they caused
@@scotimottiYou are right about one thing - individual litterbugs and similar Entitlement minded people creating the biggest problems. What individuals wreck, individuals can fix. No big government intervention needed here.
Thanks ever so much Miranda, not for merely announcing the changes, but for providing such a proactive and positive response that every hiker & backpacker can take action on!!! I'm Canadian, and haven't been hiking in the US in a couple of decades, but this advice applies to every one around the world :D Oh, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE! your visual mnemonics for the 7 Principals of Leave No Trace! I'll be practicing them and teaching them to my kids - so much fun! Last but not least, a big shout out to Rainer, made me jump and laugh out loud, until that videobomb at the end, I thought you were doing another solo hike! ROFL!
A clarification, as it was a little confusing from your intro, the FS will still be hiring temporary seasonals for fire.
Also, the FS did a huge transition from temp seasonals to permanent seasonals (of which I am one). So it's not that there will be NO seasonals doing this work, but there will be considerably less.
I’m really glad you’ll still be there! But yes - the temp seasonals lost will be tough 😕
Thank you, Miranda (and Rainer!) for this video!
I've only heard and felt the negative side of this so far; and had been feeling angry both on behalf of the workers (both seasonal who count on those jobs and the remaining full-time workers who are stuck with so much more work and such fewer resources); and for the impact on the parks and trails we love and want to protect.
I appreciate that your video takes it from there and shows that WE are EMPOWERED to help save and care for these areas, educate others, provide feedback that might help with current issues and future funding, and look forward to future voting opportunities that might bring some attention and funding back to the US Forest Service.
Thank you Miranda Goes Outside and Grumpy Forester for discussing the sad issue of trail garbage. I am a trail steward and clean all my trails and fire roads-wherever I go hiking. I carry out bags of waste and recyclable commodities everywhere I go. Looking forward to following you, Miranda! Thank you for your wonderful videos and outreach 🙏❤️
Great subject to bring forward. This decade has seen a surge in backcountry use not seen since the 1970s. And a incredible surge in folks with no outdoor experiance and knowledge in basic sanitation, navigation, or their physical limits. My local National Forest did do their best in increasing the number of FT recreation staffers from WIlderness to skiing management. Even those positions are in peril with the changes are going on in Washington. Please mob your representatives and let them know how much your Federally managed public lands mean to you.
Miranda, you are the reason I was aware of this. Thanks for what you do. Dont shy away from who you are and what you stand for in fear of opinions!
American author Ed Abbey was a part-time park ranger and used that time to write. Monkey Wrench Gang is a great book for folks thinking about protecting the outdoors. His other books are great too, but everybody starts with Monkey Wrench Gang.
I thought we all started with Desert Solitaire?
@@johnrodgers2018 Great starting point.
I studied with Abbey's biographer and he loved them all except Hayduke Lives. I kept writing papers about the importance of Hayduke Lives just to rile him up a bit.
@@johnm.withersiv4352 that's funny. Desert Solitaire was life changing for me. Never quite got into his fiction, brave cowboy was my favorite but never got round to Hayduke lives and probably never will. I used to be big into environmentalism but after reading a lot of John McPhee I find myself more pragmatic on the subject.
8:30 okay, vigilante backpacking Batman brought me SO MUCH JOY and I thank you for this from the bottom of my heart!
It's insane how decades of work of preservation of beautiful wilderness and forrest are being undone in just a few short years. This is the worst timeline.
Voting has consequences. Things may get better real soon.
@@SoloHiker1how exactly?
I’ll be surprised if we make it through a year without a complete government shutdown.
I guess we’ll all be lucky if the Grand Canyon isn’t turned into a giant strip mine in the next four years.
@@SoloHiker1yeah, explain how voting in someone from the party that wants to kill our government is going to help anything.
@@NoIsYLaUgH by _"accidentally"_ not sending 5 billion to Iran 😅.... By *ACTUALLY* protecting and taking care of our country for once... That includes our forest and wildlife 😂
During COVID I noticed the increase in trash. I started bringing a grocery bag to pick it up.
Takes 5 min, weighs next to nothing, and it's easy to do
I agree. It's up to us to keep things accountable. It shouldn't have to be unrestrained spending.
The point about respect and kindness is so key. There will be less USFS staff in the field now to professionally provide guidance and education, and so at times it will fall to us to be great examples, stewards and educators for each other. I admit I did go trail vigilante Batman on someone brazenly cutting switchbacks once 😅. But kindness is best. YAWPS for kindness!!
YAAAAWWWWP!! Stay on the trail!!! I’m Batman!
@ Stay on trail! YAAAAAAWWWWP!!
Thank you Miranda, I had no idea about this. I'm now planning on doing a regular trash pickup trip in my local trail system.
Thank you, Miranda and Rainer!!! This is such valuable information. It is shocking to know what cuts are being made to these important causes. I will definitely be getting in touch with my Congressman about this. God bless you two (and the crew) for all of your wonderful, happy videos! You make life sooooo much better!!! BIG HUGS!
Unfortunately my congressman is a part of the problem, and in no way interested in solving it. If it doesn't make the rich (like him) richer and/or hurt the people he scapegoats, he doesn't see any point in it.
Keeping up with these updates is crucial, especially for someone as passionate about outdoor exploration as you are. Thank you for the info! It sounds like it's time for all of us to step up!
This last backpacking season I decided to hit a new trail, in an underused area of the closest designated wilderness. There were downed trees and mild overgrowth, from within half mile of the trailhead. We got less than 3 miles in before the trail was completely gone. Based on the age of the most recently cut logs it had already been at least three or four years since the last time the trail had been maintained.
That was the greatest LNT memorization method EVER 🎉 "The Miranda Method"
I was scared of this Florida is already saying trailheads are closed and primitive isn't allowed due to conditions that are non existent...I thought it was understandable at first but It's becoming more consistent yet R.V and Glamping are thriving...
Several trails in Florida were impacted by this year's hurricanes. I'm not sure if that applies to where you are, but it could be a reason.
Be really cool if it were that but it was like that before the hurricane and came in around 2022.
I've been teaching principles of leave no trace for 7 years as a Scoutmaster and I think I just found my new favorite way to explain it. Thank you for sharing your outdoor experience/knowledge and making people excited about the outdoors!
as a seasonal worker with the national park service and an avid outdoor adventurer thank you so much for making this video. i was devastated and scared by the budget cuts for the forest service and how it even might be foreshadowing for the national park service. i am scared for our natural spaces and have been doing my best to post and educate family and friends about leave no trace and how to protect mother earth. this video is incredible thank you so much!!
Thanks for this video. There are also opportunities to volunteer on trail crews. I work on a trail crew with Cal State Parks one day a week in the north coast area keeping trails open by clearing downed trees, etc. Nice way to help out while enjoying the great outdoors.
Miranda, thanks for sharing this valuable information, and bringing the USFS budget and personnel issues to our attention. Keeping our Nation’s national treasures and wild places protected and preserved is critical for future generations to enjoy. I really appreciate your efforts and for exposing us to many of the beautiful National Forests in the Pacific Northwest. Keep up the great work!
Living in Maine, the baxter state park method of required reservations is something I have come to appreciate so greatly. Keeps out the social media chasers and limits impacts. Same with the gates and rough gravel roads in the North Maine Woods. Its not easy to implement and I get why people don't like it but it works
My Dad's advice for any wilderness trip - Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints!
That is great. And sad at the same time, because that should be standard without telling anyone.
I would’ve never known if i havent watched this video. Thank you so much! I’ll be doing my part out there❤ let’s keep our trails clean!!!!
I've never worked for the USFS (nps employee here) but I don't think people realize how vital seasonal employees are. At least in the NPS, if you see someone out working a frontline position and they're NOT a supervisor, that's most likely a seasonal employee. The USFS has made more of an effort to convert a lot of their seasonals to career seasonal positions, which helps, but the difference is still going to be visible and noticeable.
Working at NPS sites people constantly complain about maintenance and repair issues. People have said to me on multiple occasions, "What, you don't get ENOUGH money??" No! We don't! The maintenance backlog for federal lands is massive, it's just not always visible because public facing areas get the most care. You as the visitor don't see the decaying, vermin-infested living quarters, workspaces without running water or working bathrooms, rusted-out old work vehicles. I don't understand the lack of priority placed on our federal land areas. As americans, this is our pride! This is our flagship attraction to the world! Very few other places have a federal lands system like ours and tourists from all around the world come just to see these places. Surely that's something that we would want to promote, and keep in the best condition possible.
Nah. The Ukraine is more important.
Thinking of all of you 💚 thanks for making this video and bringing awareness to an important issue ❤
Thanks for making this video. This doesn't surprise me since it seems that the Forest Service has been reducing costs and staffing for the last 40 to 50 years. The solution the Forest Service has found to get funds here in southern California is to implement an "Adventure Pass" which is a $5 per day or $30 per year pass that allows you to park your car in most areas of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres and Cleveland National Forest. I suspect this will become a nationwide requirement in the future since the concept of this Adventure Pass has been upheld in court. California Parks are even worse. In most cases it now costs $10 just to park your car in a state park. Campground fees have gone up across the board as well. Fortunately there are a lot of dedicated and awesome volunteers that help out.
Thanks!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate this so much 🥰
Thanks for bringing this topic up. I spend the majority of my time in unmaintained forests and it’s been a growing problem with debris on the trail.
Forestry cuts affect everyone so it’s vitally important that we all do our part to support our trails and outdoor spaces
I recently became a level 2 leave no trace instructor! Thank you for educating on leave no trace!
Thanks for putting these pieces together.
We ran into a forest service volunteer on the trail yesterday, who shared how impactful volunteering is, anywhere from one day per month to several days a week. Apply direct with the forest service on their website. We are definitely volunteering.
Bummer for the seasonal employees as well. Where I live in Italy the local hiking clubs monitor and take care of trails. There is also a organization called plastic free that does trash pickup. I wonder if the US could do something similar. I still find plenty of microtrash to pick up along the trail. The thing that I hate however is that when I go to pee, I often find used toilet paper and today I found a pad. Not something I pickup (but maybe I should bring gloves and do it??? ) I'm a happy user of circle care a reusable cloth for wiping. I just leave it on my backpack to dry and wash it the evening when I get home.
It sounds like a forthcoming video or two about extra trash pick-up, packing out waste, and other aspects of voluntary clean-up beyond the requirements are going to be worth making . . . and watching.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! ❤️🙏
I think of myself as a pretty responsible hiker, but you gave some tips that I wasn't aware of. I hope this video gets a whole lot of traction. Also thank you so much for your positivity.
I did not know this about the Forest Service budget. Tough time for trails. Thank you for all the great advice.
Thanks Miranda! This is totally part of why you’re one of my faves!
Miranda this video is so excellent. Thank you! I feel like this should be playing on a t.v. in every NP visitor center in the country-so educational and important.
Thank you for educating us Miranda on some basics of trail behavior and etiquette as well as the changes on the horizon. You managed to do it thoroughly and quite charmingly as well. Nicely done. The backpacking scenario has changed a lot since the mid sixties when I started out in my 60/40 parka and Trailwise external frame pack haha Happy Trails
That’s so sad to hear. I really hope everyone does their part to keep trails clean and safe for all. Oh and Rainer now needs his own merch “ I’ll also see you outside!” 😂
The Shoshone National Forest here in WY was unable to hire any seasonal employees this year also. My college, Central Wyoming College has a partnership the allows us to help with campsite monitoring in Wilderness areas. There are many opportunities for partnerships like this, and the seasonal permanent employees who are Wilderness rangers are probably more than happy to set up something like this if you have an organization the could do something like this.
That’s fantastic! I know we have a few internships out here with the USFS that are often filled by college students.
commenting and liking for the algorithm, and I'll share with my friends! thank you for the information on all of this, and how we can help!
thanks for bringing this up, you have a big platform! please mention again and again all summer. please!! signed, a WTA employee
We would love to see you and the gang out on a WTA work party next spring, preferably in the Olympics ! Might even make a great video.
A BCRT perhaps? Would be awesome!
You popped up in my feed. So glad I watched! Enjoy the silliness! Enjoy your hike!💜
Aw yay thank you!!!
@MirandaGoesOutside you are so welcome 💜
I think there will absolutely be some growing pains. But as unrealistic as it maybe sounds, I do like the idea of citizens joining together to bring about positive outcomes. Less abstract lip-service activism of "save the world" and more applied action of "save your community / things you love." Fingers crossed we can spread the message.
Miranda for president! Love this video so much.
Excellent video! Probably the best you’ve ever made! Thanks for hitting the hard topics and getting a much needed message out there! Voices for responsible outdoor recreation are needed now more than ever💓
Thanks for the reminder for all of us to work together to ensure our forests stay wild and beautiful.
I always pick up the small trash, a lot of corners from Cliff bars, chip bags, granola bars wrappers, twist ties and those plastic things to close bread bags. I do occasionally carry bulky stuff out if I am going to be going to town. Happy trails Miranda
Thanks Miranda for an informative;and important message.I worked one summer as a seasonal wildland firefighter.
Vote for leaders who support trails, forests, the wild, and the environment. Budget cuts don't just happen randomly.
Both parties are supporting this now though, we are in a bad place.
If you're in WA State, the WTA (Washington Trails Assoc.) also has apps ("WTA Trailblazer"). They make it easier to remember that you can consult (and write) trial reports.
As a longtime seasonal (both frontcountry and back) at many agencies (local, state, and national), I can confidently say this budget change is a foreseeable disaster for wildlands. I shudder to think what budgets will look like over the next 4 years...
It's your show gosh darn, and you are doing a gosh darn good job of it. Caring about who manages the land and how is the next step in being a responsible backpacker. Lands, trails, and parks don't come about magically; they take citizen effort to create, maintain and protect. Well done Miranda!
holy moly! That's *insane* and scary, thanks for sharing this. Super important.
Miranda and Rainer for President and VP 2028 :-) Thank you for this great public service announcement!
GREAT update !
In order to be able to best help the Forest Service, it would be useful to think of info useful to them when alerting them to trail issues. If / When I have to provide such an alert, I think a photo with a verbal description of the issue AND GPS coordinates would be the most straight forward and helpful to them. Certainly try to take care of the issue ourselves - but to a point. As mentioned, carrying out trash would be an obvious action. However, do not get carried away - leave trail modifications to the experts. AND look for opportunities to POSITIVELY educate novices on LNT.
Thank you for sharing this info!
Back when I was younger and could get a round easyer j one time hiked and backpacked a trail that one of the rules was every thing you took in you brought out including all waste.
We need this kind of a positive outlook on this issue. Between the changes to the forest service, the federal lawsuit in Utah, and the changing administration, there is lots of worry on my mind!
The calls to action, including voting, are excellent. We can all do something to leave the outdoors better than we found them. Spent recent days at NFS locations and I was yet again impressed by the roads, parking, camping/trail options, bathrooms, etc. I’m so thankful for the MGO community of people who love the outdoors and continue to put in the work to keep them wonderful for ourselves & our posterity. ❤
Thank you for this!!
I wouldn't have known about this otherwise, and shared this to my network, because I doubt they knew about it either
Thanks for a great video, Miranda! I carry an extra bag to pick up trash I find on trail; it's the least I can do to give back!
I don't think it is legally feasible but for some of these, it may be worth considering leasing out the land(in a way) to the state parks. My state, for instance, has managed to get the state parks so flush with cash by making use of FOMO and low price as you can get access to all the state parks by simply opting to pay $11 when renewing your license late tabs. So many people felt this deal couldn't be missed out on and now they have a surplus of cash. Obviously this sort of solution would only work for areas fully contained within a single state. Of course, this also comes with problems. My state's parks are so popular that reservations for camp sites fill nearly moments after they open up, unfortunately mostly by non-state residents leaving very little for people who actually live in the state.
Your state has an interesting solution, but it also illustrates a bigger problem. For decades the federal government has been offloading a lot of responsibilities and service burdens to state and local governments. This presents difficulties for the lower government entities because they don't have the same tax base as the federal government. Our congressional representatives aren't very responsive to lowly citizens anymore, instead catering just to special interests. There flat out is plenty of money for the forest service, but Congress chooses to allocate it to the defense department as well as basic corruption. It's not going to get any better with the incoming 2025 politicians either. Especially since Trump wants freaking Elon Musk to somehow "fix" the budget of "waste". Can't imagine Musk sees any value in protecting public lands.
I think one of the MAJOR things that should be mentioned with these cuts other than picking up garbage, is to make sure that even if the trail has a pit toilet that you should bring your own TP with you now since there is a much greater chance of it being out now.
unroll a decent amount of TP and put it in a water proof bag and stick it in your pack.
Also keep in mind, in many places over the last few years trail crew positions transitioned to permanent positions from seasonal. So for example, my district only (and I say that with a grain of salt, because these were incredibly valued and skilled people) 3 of 25 employees with this news. And we manage parts of the CDT and very popular 1,000+ miles of trail. And trail operations will continue without a hitch. Obviously could be different in other places. But the direction the agency is going with all roles is offering more permanent job roles vs seasonal hires, in my field within wildland fire too. This will likely be the path into the future after this transitional ‘25 season.
Thanks for the notice. I would love to see the addition of more modern checkin options available for those more likely to scan a qr code on a sign to trigger a checkin with all the key info auto populated. who/whe/where etc. and I guess its possible something similar already occurs though I have never experieced it in this use case though they are more prevelant at "events"
I LOVE the way of remembering the LNT principles. So fun and helpful! Thank you! :)
I’m just a random lady from New Zealand but this video really hit home! Our national parks service aka the dept of conservation manages 1/3 of our total land for less than 1% of the budget - it’s tough out there for the DOC teams maintaining our trails and back country infrastructure eg toilets. Volunteers keep it going. Also - fill out all the logs!!! If you don’t log it it’s not a stat for funding!
Yep, when I was a boy, we were taught to cut down saplings, move rock, build tables and chairs, doing bushcraft everywhere, and build rock fireplaces. Now, to the present day, leave no trace principles are old. I like them…from an old vet, retired in the foothills of the Smokies.
Amazing LNT mnemonics!
This is amazing! Thanks for offering so.e great solutions! I think I'll pass this video on to my local Sierra Club chapter!
Good job! It is a huge thing when you can make a positive difference in the world!