Any Work in Progress on the AZ State Trust Lands Issue?

[+BigOpe]

Hoping somebody is working on getting this restriction set aside, as it rules out a HUGE chunk of Arizona, but haven't heard anything much. Also wondering why, if State Trust Land is off limits, there are a couple hundred caches in a state park near my home. Talking out both sides of their mouths up in Phoenix, are they?

[Keystone]

I am moving this topic of regional interest to the South and Southwest forum.

[+WeeWillie]

The objective of state trust land is to raise revenue for schools and other social services. They haved a legal requirement to charge a fee. I suspect that the reasons for closure were too many geocachers were visiting caches on state trust land without obtaining an annual pass. The problem was not just geocachers, but we are a recognized group.

 

Another concern was probably geo-art. Geo-art was popping up everywhere and most of it was lame. The problem was that it attracted large numbers of cachers interested in increasing their cache count. The volume often creates very defined trails that you did not need a GPS to follow. Besides the imapact on the terrain, it violates the intent of geocaching.

 

Finally, I encountered two cachers on one geo-art (007 near Houghton Rd) and neither had state trust land permits.

 

Here is the state land trust address if you are interested.

 

Arizona State Land Department

1616 W. Adams St

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Edited May 4, 2015 by WeeWillie

[+Cache O'Plenty]

I read recently that State Trust Lands and State Parks are different, legally. The Trust Lands are not owned by the state (and therefore are not public lands). The state administers those lands. State Parks, on the other hand are owned by the taxpayers. Thus the rules for geocaches are different.

[+WeeWillie]

Cache O'Plenty

 

You are sort of correct. Here is a complete history of AZ state trust lands.

 

https://land.az.gov/about/history

[+fallan2]

WeeWillie said-

Another concern was probably geo-art. Geo-art was popping up everywhere and most of it was lame. The problem was that it attracted large numbers of cachers interested in increasing their cache count. The volume often creates very defined trails that you did not need a GPS to follow. Besides the imapact on the terrain, it violates the intent of geocaching.

 

Why do you feel it violates the intent of geocaching?

Edited May 8, 2015 by fallan2

[+WeeWillie]

When so many caches become so obvious that you don't need a GPS to find them you have lost something.

[+fallan2]

When so many caches become so obvious that you don't need a GPS to find them you have lost something.

I have yet to see that in the few geoart cache runs I have done. Very few trails in the sagebrush areas I've been to. If it weren't for the gpsr, I wouldn't be able to find my way back to the car let alone find a geocache. May be different in a more populated area.

[+WeeWillie]

South of Tucson.