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Geocaching now allowed in Minnesota State Parks!


Marsha and Silent Bob

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Following closely on the heels of the announcement last week of the Minnesota State Forests’ Geocaching Policy, the Minnesota Geocaching Association is proud to announce that after four years, our association has accomplished what it was formed to do.

 

The Minnesota DNR has lifted the geocaching ban and geocaches are again permitted to be placed (with prior and written permission) in Minnesota State Parks!

 

From the DNR's State Parks' General Parks Rules:

 

Geocaching

 

Geocaching is allowed in Minnesota State Parks, State Recreation Areas and Waysides managed by the DNR Division of Parks and Recreation. All caches placed in these locations require a signed permit prior to placement. Permit applications and geocaching guidelines are available at the park office or online at http://www.mnstateparks.info

This effort was a huge undertaking and one that has stretched numerous MnGCA Boards, involved many people (geocachers and DNR officials alike), and opens 66 parks to geocaching again!

 

The DNR has not yet posted the policy to the website yet but from what we understand that should happen at some point today. Once we do have that in hand, I will post it here in text format and also link to the policy on their page.

 

Please do follow the permit process and make certain that you are taking great care to ensure that the hard work that the DNR and the MnGCA has done is not for naught. This is big news and we want to shine where we shine best!

 

If you have any questions about the permit process, please contact your local State Park official. You will be working closely with them in order to get geocaches placed in their parks. Once you have the e-mail copy of the permit, please forward that on to “Surfer Joe” for final cache reviewing and publishing.

 

We are continuing our promise to work closely with the Minnesota DNR to open more of their lands that are closed to geocaching. While some lands are likely to remain closed to geocaching indefinitely (SNAs in particular) we are hopeful that many other lands will open soon.

 

Have a great day and happy cachin’,

 

Silent Bob

MnGCA President

 

Official DNR Press Release is here: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/releases/i...l?id=1159300366

hitme.gif

 

Guidelines (PDF): http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoor_activ..._guidelines.pdf

 

Permit (PDF):

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoor_activ...aching_form.pdf

Edited by Marsha and Silent Bob
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saw this story in the main forum and ran here.

 

yay. Thanks very much to everyone involved!

 

as I said in the other thread I had no intention of renewing our state park vehicle stickers next year till now. We used to spend every weekend and many summer days off hiking and camping in state parks, but since discovering geocaching, there really was no way to justify it anymore, since now we always need a GPSr and cache involved in the hike to make it fun and that wasn't permitted in state parks.

 

this will be great for everyone as long as the caches are placed well.

 

I hope everyone limits the state park caches to quality placements, ammo boxes or strong waterproof / chew-proof containers placed in scenic areas at locations where no damage will be done by additional traffic. Would only take a few waterlogged gladware caches, or micro caches placed in the middle of a woods so that people need to flatten/bushwack/clear a 1000 square foot area of vegetation trying to find it... to ruin it all.

 

I'm excited about this, and hope it goes well. thanks again for those who made it happen.

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Good job, thank you very much, everyone who was involved with this process.

 

Ironically enough, I spent the last week talking to North Dakota Game and Fish about allowing caching in state WMAs (at this point, there's no stated policy beyond "it would be considered illegal dumping.") Essentially, they said that they've talked about it and they've come to the conclusion that they can't be all things to all people, and the hunters and ATV'rs that currently have use of WMA lands is enough. :)

 

So, Northwest Minnesota State Parks will be getting the series of wilderness caches I was planning to place.

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I hope everyone limits the state park caches to quality placements, ammo boxes or strong waterproof / chew-proof containers placed in scenic areas at locations where no damage will be done by additional traffic.

 

I attempted to place the first cache in a MN State Park by nailing a micro to the world's largest Jack Pine, but was denied by the ranger. :anibad:

 

Seriously, we decided to place a cache in our favourite NW Minnesota park, Lake Bronson. As fortune would have it, turns out that it's the first legal placement. Working with the ranger was very helpful, both to him and to us. Would have been a much different experience, had we just filled out the form and mailed it in without talking to anyone.

 

Six Sisters cache: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCYKET

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