There are numerous groups and organizations that can influence the environmental health of the trail and the surrounding environment. Actions to prevent soil erosion are taken on seasonally by many local trail clubs within the southern Appalachian community, and the aid to maintain the trail environment has proven critical to reducing permanent damage to the surrounding environment. Because human activities in the southern Appalachians especially significantly predates the trail, there has been damage done to the local environments that will not be healed by trail maintenance, nor was it healed with the laws imposed by the creation of national parks in the southern Appalachians. However, further damage can be prevented, especially with the increase in hiker's knowledge of the trail environment, and how to reduce their impact on the environment. While the Leave No Trace project is one of the most important parts of spreading hikers awareness, it may hold significant impact if more hikers, especially those beginning their long trek, or those choosing to hike only on the southern more portions of the trail, avoided hiking outside of the trail. Hiker awareness of the human impact on the environment is increasing at a steady rate, and combined with maintenance of the trail, anthropogenic impact on the trail can, and will, certainly be minimized.