Minimal impact code

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The Minimal Impact Code is the practice of reducing by as much as possible the amount of physical damage one does to a natural ecosystem. Many environmental groups and individual naturalists - especially, but not specifically, those involved with mountaineering practices such as hiking and trekking - site the Code and state its importance for the preservation of ecosystems.

Not all groups or individuals share the same list of actions that constitute the Code, however the basic precept appears to be constant. Some points of a typical Code are:

  • keep to established trails to avoid spreading erosion
  • do not remove endemic species of fauna or flora
  • follow the law of pack it in, pack it out
  • do not alter the natural surroundings of an ecosystem
  • limit the size of a group entering an ecosystem
  • use existing campsites

These points do not completely encompass the entire philosophy of the Minimal Impact Code and the code itself appears to often be altered to suit a particular ecosystem; however, some primary points - such as 'Pack it in, pack it out' - are commonly found in the codes of most top level environmental groups.

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