[GeoStL] Re: MDC Contact
- From: "Jack Konecker" <jack.konecker@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:51:48 -0500
> Also, do you have an idea on how "nice" he is about
> geocaching? Hopefully he's good about it, as I have
> many ideas in some of the MDC properties.
John is good about Busch Wildlife and Weldon Springs
area. But that's because he 'oversees' those areas.
Other Conservation Areas are managed by other pepole
and each of those people have their own approach and
understanding of geocaching.
If you listen to SLAGA Geocaching Podcast episode
#64 , you'll hear Liz Lyon from the Busch Wildlife
C.A. talk about geocaching as it relates to the policy
(or lack there of) across all the different areas.
http://tinyurl.com/ys7rde
John can't help you with all the St. Louis area Conservation
Areas. And some areas are more conducive to supporting
use by human being. For instance, as of this year, no
geocaches are allowed in Forest 44. I talked to the guy
who manages that area face-to-face for 30 minutes to explain
geocaching and he said no. It has to do with use by horses,
but the details are too long to go into here. (it involves politics).
However, he also manages the Pacific Palisides
C.A. Parking for it is at N38 27.907 W90 43.794.
He doesn't have a problem with caches in that area because
its use is different than Forest 44. You still have to
fill out the use permits, but he basically says there shouldn't
be much or any resistance from him if a cache is placed there.
I am working with this land manager to get a cache placed
in another of the areas he manages, but it will be on a trial
basis to prove to him that geocaching won't cause him and
his people any extra work. He is short staffed and a bad
experience could shut us down on all the areas he manages.
Besides the permit, I also attached topo maps with waypoints
and pictures of the cache container and contents. This is
what I've done when placing caches Missouri State Parks
(details about our geocaching relationship with the Missouri
DNR can be heard in conservations with Barb Wilson and
Andrea Putnam in SLAGA Geocaching Podcast episode #63)
http://tinyurl.com/yp4nar
As you can see, within the scope of one Dept. of Conservation
land manager, the answer to the question, 'Can I place
geocaches on your land?' spans three possibilities:
1) YES
2) NO
3) LET'S TRY IT AND SEE.
TO SUMMARIZE: The geocaching policy can be different on
each Conservation Area. You will need to work with the
person responsible for each area. If they are new to the
concept of geocaching, you will need to educate them first.
To improve the chances of your success, proceed slowly,
don't scare them off, be willing to compromise on how and
where the cache would be placed and don't give them more
work to do as a result of your placement.
Other related posts:
