[GeoStL] Re: Challenging the NPS ban on geocaching RE: Re: FW: ohiobill contacting you from Geocaching.com

Jim,

A few comments on your draft letter:

First, I'm a newcomer here. I have been "lurking" around, reading the posts, 
watching SLAGA, and having a great time finding caches with my wife & daughter, 
but have never jumped in and said hi or introduced myself.   So I hope you and 
the others take my comments in the manner intended - to just convey my initial 
reaction, and make some suggestions for consideration.  I sincerely hope the 
letter will have the intended effect. 

1) I fear that portions of the letter - especially the opening sentence - are a 
bit too much "guns blazing". You might want consider toning down, or deferring 
until your follow-up letter (if you get a stand-offish reply) certain words and 
phrases like "capricious, illegal and unconstitutional", "some crackpot thief", 
etc.

2) Nice work researching applicable law and precedent. Maybe some of this 
should be saved as "backup" for the second round of letters. I.e., on the 
assumption that you would receive a reply citing a specific policy that caches 
violate. Or, in retrospect, I'm more concerned about the length of the letter. 
You work a lot in - your personal experiences, love and respect of nature, what 
geocaching is, and law and policy citations. While its all good, it certainly 
makes for one long letter - I'd hate to loose the attention of the reader.

3) Any value in trying to establish that "leaving a cache is not littering" by 
explaining that the caches are not abandoned, but are merely resting there on 
the ground until a undefined "later date" when it is retrieved (archived by 
physical removal)? To me, litter is something that the discarder never intends 
to pick back up.

4) Last sentence: maybe just ask how you can contact O'Donnell (even if you 
know) so that you can retrieve your cache? It could appear you don't even want 
to try and deal with him so your "going over his head". Just trying to minimize 
being confrontational, no matter whether someone is right or wrong.

Good luck!

John Kinder
"DJ&R"

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jim Bensman 
  To: geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 6:26 PM
  Subject: [GeoStL] Re: Challenging the NPS ban on geocaching RE: Re: FW: 
ohiobill contacting you from Geocaching.com


  Here is a draft of the letter I will send.  Any thoughts or suggestions for 
improvement?



  Superintendent

  Ozark National Scenic Riverways

  404 Watercress Drive

  PO Box 490

  Van Buren, MO 63965

  OZAR_Superintendent@xxxxxxx

  Dear National Park Service:

  [snip]

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