[GeoStL] Re: Geocaching and the Mark Twain National Forest

-
I agree with Dan... Let sleeping dogs lie until we have food to feed them... 
I think that as the popularity of the hobby grows, the land managers will be 
more acceptable..

Mike Griffin



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Henke" <thunder_monk@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 7:52 PM
Subject: [GeoStL] Re: Geocaching and the Mark Twain National Forest


> -
> Jim and all,
>
> IMHO I think we should leave it be....I am in constant touch with Nancy 
> Feakes here in Rolla and the policy that is unwritten and yet is used at 
> least by me is to email Nancy when I place a cache in the MTNF with a 
> description of kind of container,,,,how it is hidden....assurances that it 
> is not placed in a sensitive or harmful spot and the coords and a link to 
> the cache page for verification. I also mention the MTNF by name and post 
> any restrictions etc. in the cache descriptions. I also ask people who 
> find the cache to report abuse and destruction directly to their main 
> office. She and the rangers have been very appreciative and have 
> recommended to the city here in Rolla that they should investigate and 
> implement geocaching in town.
> It is my opinion that some agencies just do NOT want to deal with policies 
> etc and would rather have a "Yea I know there are caches there and they 
> are hurting nothing but we have no policy for them" Kind of don't ask 
> don;t tell......I have been in serious touch here with the City of Rolla 
> Parks System and we have exchanged a number of emails on geocaching....I 
> have asked them for some kind of policy regarding the hobby and they have 
> said they would look into it....this was almost a year ago...they still 
> have no policy and I still have all my caches out....they know they are 
> there but I think they are dealing with it by NOT dealing with it. Instead 
> of saying Hey we think Geocaching is good or bad for our park system they 
> just let them be and wait for problems. And I have stopped asking....I 
> don't want them to think of me as being pushy and then post some 
> regulations that are very restrictive because of it. I have an inside 
> track in the park's department and I will hear if anyt
> hing
> changes
>
> This of course is just my opinion but sometimes I think that restrictive 
> policies are brought about by our putting too much pressure on the agency 
> involved to put those policies in place.
>
> Dan (Thunder)
>
> Jim Bensman <jbensman1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> -
> As some may remember at one time the Mark Twain National Forest did not
> allow caching in Wilderness Areas. They finally backed down and are now
> allowing it in the National Forest without any rules at this time.
>
> Today, the Forest Service released a draft of a new management plan for 
> the
> Mark Twain National Forest. It is on line at:
>
> http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/marktwain/managment/planning/DEIS/index.htm
>
> It will guide the management of the Forest, including recreation such as
> geocaching, for the next 10-15 years.
>
> They are talking public comment on it for the next 3 months and there is 
> an
> open house at Powder Valley from 5-8 on the 8th.
>
> I searched the Draft Plan and geocaching is not mentioned. That may or may
> not be a good thing.
>
> The question that needs to be thought about is if we want the final
> Management Plan to have standards and guidelines for geocaching.
>
> It could backfire and we could get some bad rules.
>
> Or it could work out well and we get some good rules that would stop the
> Forest Service from doing bad things some time in the future.
>
> My initial reaction is we should try to get them to include some good
> standards and guidelines with our help. Perhaps they would have some
> meetings with us and develop the rules.
>
> What do people think?
>
> Perhaps some should come to the open house and explore the possibilities
> with them.
>
> Jim Bensman
> "Nature Bats Last"
>
>
>
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