Permission to Place a Cache

[+MysticusHiker]

I am interested in placing a cache in an open space managed by a city. At this time I keep being transferred to different people. Could someone please tell me if the permission to place a cache needs to be in writing from a city or an agency such as the Forest Service?

 

I was told by one person that she believes people are just placing them and not getting permission at all, but I want to do this correctly through proper channels.

 

Any tips on getting the necessary authorization to place a cache would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you.

[AZcachemeister]

Congratulations and our extreme respect for trying to do it right.

In many such cases, you will get an eternal run-around until you finally get to someone who will say NO!

 

If it's a city-owned open space, you should probably employ the Frisbee Rule* and just place your cache.

 

*Frisbee Rule: If you can safely play Frisbee there without any interference from the police, you are good to go.

[+MysticusHiker]

Thank you. I was told by one city employee that they try to discourage placing caches because it would lead to more garbage being in the area. She knew of a cache up the hill right behind the university and she has seen beer bottles by it. Beer bottles by a college. What a shock. It is doubtful they even knew there was a cache there at all.

[+MysticusHiker]

Does the frisbee rule go for Forest Service land too?

[AZcachemeister]

Does the frisbee rule go for Forest Service land too?

 

Most Forest Service lands are OK, but you should check the policy for the actual forest in question since they are allowed to set policy individually.

Forest Service Wilderness areas are definitely off-limits.

[+blackhorse221]

I work for my city and ran into some difficulty getting permission to place one. I finally got ahold of someone in the Parks and Rec department who approved it. (Still working on the container, the first one I made was a little too big and obtrusive.) Try calling around the city and see which department would have oversight of that area.

[+MysticusHiker]

I work for my city and ran into some difficulty getting permission to place one. I finally got ahold of someone in the Parks and Rec department who approved it. (Still working on the container, the first one I made was a little too big and obtrusive.) Try calling around the city and see which department would have oversight of that area.

[+MysticusHiker]

Thank for the advice.

[+stijnhommes]

Thank you. I was told by one city employee that they try to discourage placing caches because it would lead to more garbage being in the area. She knew of a cache up the hill right behind the university and she has seen beer bottles by it. Beer bottles by a college. What a shock. It is doubtful they even knew there was a cache there at all.

If they're worried about garbage, you could point out that true cachers have the CITO principle and encourage cachers to pick up trash along the way when going out to find that one. Most of the trash I have seen around cache sites doesn't come from geocachers, but from muggles who probably never even saw the cache at all.

[+usatxmom]

I had the same problem. I tried for about a month to get permission from the city to place a cache in a city park that did not have one. There are caches all over the city. Finally, I emailed another geocacher that had caches in the city and they said to just go for it (I think it was the Frisbee Rule - love that). However, next time I see the Parks dude, I'll give him a heads up and explain the whole geocaching thing if he is not familiar with it.

[+tisourway]

Texas parks have rules and fees associated with placing caches. They also have a close relationship with geocaching, includubg a fully fleshed out website.

[AZcachemeister]

Texas STATE parks have rules and fees associated with placing caches. They also have a close relationship with geocaching, includubg a fully fleshed out website.

 

Fixed that for ya.

 

City parks are a whole 'nother animal...