jimmy689

I think you have more choices than seek permission (even when you don't think you need to) or not to seek. The argument here has been framed as such, and the issue has more facets. Jimmy689's post illustrates this. The first park system likes Geocaches and seems to encourage the placement of caches- no permission needed. The second system needs some education. The particular person that Jimmy spoke with is unaware of caching and may or may not be an ally. The last one has an established Geocaching policy (maybe). Sounds like one of these park systems will allow Geocache placement without permission. That happens. A lot of places (and parks people) have not heard of Geocaching, or have not formed an opinion or policy regarding it. Getting three different answers is no reason not to continue talking with them. Again, if a system says cachers are free to place caches without permission, then I'd place all kinds of caches through their parks. Do I spy a new Team member? I can speak from personal experience that the county government that responded practically incoherently to my request for information on their policy on geocaching was Monmouth County, New Jersey. One of the richest counties in the state. Where does the money go? The managers do not know anything about anything! We need to educate the lawmakers!

I started a thread on this topic a while ago, and what I found out is that the people who post in these forums are very passionate about their views. Seeking permission on public lands by contacting the land managers may or may not be a good idea. I contacted three different park systems when I was new at this and I got three different responses. One said they knew of several caches in their parks and thought it was a good activity, the next had no clue about it and the third said I needed a "special use permit". The funny thing was that I have cached in all three jurisdictions with no problem. I haven't contacted them since because what they don't know won't hurt them. Anyway, thats my take on it. Happy Caching! ps: This only applies to public lands and should not be applied to private prop.

Every time someone says the word"tattoo" there is always someone who says its a big mistake. In my opinion there is only one golden rule about tattoos. Never have a name tattooed on you unless it is your childs name. I think the geocaching logo is an excellent tattoo to get. I have several tattoos but the one I like showing everybody is the picture of my collie I had for 14 years of my life. Happy caching!

I'm a mechanic for the County of Monmouth public works. I repair cars, trucks and every kind of other powered equipment you can think of. I geocache mainly on the weekends or vacation.

Reminds me of when my 13 yr old is going to ask to do something or get something sometimes. He starts off with "I know you're probably going to say no, but..." . He lost his battle right then because it triggers thoughts in my head about I shouldn't allow it already before he even says it. When if he would of said can I do so and so. I might of said ok. The other way he is feeding me an answer to his question already. Did you even read my original e-mail to the parks that I posted? I think I wrote it in english. I thought it was worded pretty well. Like I said before, I Did not ask for permission for anything! This forum seems to be frequented by a few close minded and paranoid people who believe any dialog with any authority is wrong. Do you really think that one vague email to two park systems will really bring the hammer of the government down on geocachers? I would also appreciate it if you would stop taking one line out of my post to make a personal slam against me. You don't know me at all so keep your insults to yourself.

Reminds me of when my 13 yr old is going to ask to do something or get something sometimes. He starts off with "I know you're probably going to say no, but..." . He lost his battle right then because it triggers thoughts in my head about I shouldn't allow it already before he even says it. When if he would of said can I do so and so. I might of said ok. The other way he is feeding me an answer to his question already. Did you even read my original e-mail to the parks? I f you did, apparently you thought it was a falsehood. Contact the parks directly if you think I was lying. I gave you the address and phone numbers. Take the next step and verify what I am saying! Otherwise, stop spouting off. It offends me.

"as for caches on private lands" did you actually ask him if it was allright to place a cache on private lands. these two letters from some park official sound like they just got done reading a letter from someone that was very anti-geocaching.maybe im reading it wrong. idont know. I almost wish I didn't post those e-mails. I thought that I was proving that in some cases land managers can be level headed and logical about geocaching and not all of them are against us. How can this possibly be seen as antigeocaching? I contacted the park system to see if yet another activity I enjoy in New Jersey(ie; off road motorcycling) will be all but banned in the near future. The information I got was encouraging so I thought I would share it. I posted my original e-mail on the first page of this thread. Please read it before you pass judgement on me.

. I wrote that e-mail very soon after I read about the ban in some national parks. If I were to write now after all the information I have read in all of these very informative forums, I probably would have worded it differently. I was just nieve in believing people can be resonable. BTW, In my e-mail to the parks I don't remember asking permission for anything.

Hey Woodsters. Any thoughts?

Here is the e-mail I wrote to the parks including the date I sent it. I do not ask for information to " stir things up". I simply wanted to know the parks position on geocaching. Since I got a positive response from two of the nicest parks in Ocean County I thought I would share it with the rest of you. I f you believe I have less than sincere motives for my inquiries then I will refrain from posting any other correspondence positive or otherwise. Here is my original e-mail I sent to the parks: I am sending this letter to the park systems that I frequently visit. ----- Original Message ----- From: jim To: info@monmouthcountyparks.com Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 9:15 AM Subject: Info Hello. I am writing to find out the park systems stand,if any, on the relatively new hobby of geocaching. I just started in this hobby and I understand there is some controversy as to its legality. I enjoy getting out in nature and learning how to use my gps unit more effectively. I just don't want to get into trouble with the law. Any info would be helpful. Thank you very much, Jim D. Howell, NJ

Here is another e-mail reply from the head guy at Wells Mills Park. Jim, your message was forwarded to myself and the supervisor at Cattus Island County Park. As far as I know, the Ocean County Parks Department has no policy at this time on the issue. I am aware of several caches in the park that I supervise ( Wells Mills County Park in Waretown), and I have no problem with the activity, as it has no adverse environmental impacts. Please be aware that other public lands may have a policy however, and the fact that an individual has placed a cache on the tract does not mean that it was done with permission of the agency which owns or manages it. If you want to be safe, I would check with the individual office first. As for caches on private lands, any entry without permission of the landowner is considered illegal. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any further assistance. German Georgieff Principal Park Naturalist Wells Mills County Park (609) 971-3085 Seems to me this is a good thing so far.

I sent out some e-mails to the local park systems that I like to go to. I wanted to see if they even knew about geocaching and if they have any policy. I wrote to Monmouth County parks in central NJ and the person who responded hade no idea what I was talking about. I also wrote to the Ocean County parks and this is the reply I got. It was very encouraging. Jim, Geocaching, in and of itself, is not illegal. In some cases the geocacher and searcher may be in violation of the rules and regulations of the location where the cache is placed. This is not the case with the caches at Cattus Island Park. I check the caches periodically to be sure no one has added offensive items, otherwise all is kosher. Personally, I feel that it is a great way for the public to passively enjoy our park. Enjoy... and do not hesitate to contact me with further questions. Christopher Claus Principal Park Naturalist Cooper Environmental Center Cattus Island County Park

Excellent post Criminal! When I was a kid I always walked off the trails in parks simply because it is more interesting than the trail. I never questioned if it was legal or not, I would look for snakes, lizards or wild berries in the summer. It has been a long time since I have done that. Geocaching has brought back those feelings of adventure and to me this is priceless. Unless there is somebody physically present to stop me from this activity I will go where I want, when I want unless it is posted private property . My taxes pay for these public lands and I shouldn't have to ask permission to use them. Thanks for the chance to rant J.D.

I haven't been at this long enough to get hurt. The worst thing that has happened to me is not marking where I parked on my gps. I walked a half mile past my truck before emerging from the woods. No big deal and a lesson learned. J.D.

I hunt and geocache and this is the best advice I can give. Stay on main trails look up for any tree stands in the area. If you see one be courteous and go around it as quietly as possible unless it is unoccupied. I hunt on private property that a friend of mine owns so I don't usually see someone I don't know. Above all else WEAR ORANGE AND BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. Whatever you decide be safe and have fun. J.D.

After reading these forums for quite some time. It has become apparent that there are people in this world that don't want other people doing things simply because they have no interest in it themselves. This is true not only for geocaching but most other activities too. People moving from a city environment buying a house within earshot of a race track want the track shut down after it being there for fourty years with no problem. When someone with this attitude gets into a position of authority they tend to delight in harassing people who engage in activities they deem "silly" or a "waste of time" even though these activities are causing no harm. Thanks for letting me rant, J.D.

I have since edited my topic. You will find no mention of the word n@#i.

After reading the BLM stand on geocaching it put my mind at ease. After reading about the negative attitudes towards this hobby in the forums, it's nice to know the gov't is basically treating this as a non-issue. Thanks for the info.

Jomarac, please explain.

I would be willing to bet. The politicians who govern public lands have never seen the forest or woods they make decisions about. When you live your life in a protected a bubble, you have no clue what people do for relaxation. You also have no clue as to the enviromental impact of that activity. In this case there is no impact at all. The rich govern, the poor suffer.That sucks!

I am new to geocaching and it never entered my mind that it could ever be illegal. What is the harm in hiding tupperware containers ten feet off a marked trail. I kayak local rivers and an amazed by all the garbage that is floating in them. If the environmental extremists want to do something useful, then go after the real polluters. Instead of using the website to confiscate caches, use it as a guideline or a route for picking up garbage in our great state of New Jersey.

I read them.

I don't know how long you have been married, but if your wife is that controlling and inflexible maybe you should split. The only stopping point is if you could afford child support. Good luck!