I agree "pack it out" is the best technique but I don't think it should be advocated for as a policy. I used to believe animals dig the stuff up all the time, but I am no longer convinced that is the case. Every time I find TP in the backcountry it is apparent that it was never buried in the first place. I think the real issue with TP in the backcountry is people not following the current regulations. Tightening regulations won't fix that problem; it could make it worse. I think what is needed is a re-doubling of the effort to get people to, at a minimum, bury their waste.

I go to some high impact areas in the Sierra (more so now that I try to bring my young kids with me). I have never come across someone buried TP. I am not particularly flexible, so if a spot looks like a good place to squat to me, it must have to many other people. My conclusion is that the stuff breaks down in the wild much faster than what the scientist would have us believe.