+Alan2 Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 What's the policies for local county and state parks in the northeast? Alan Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 I'm sure it varies by state and county. "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 The guidelines for geocaches on state park and state forest land managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources can be viewed on their website. In summary: - Caches are allowed, if a permit is obtained - Permit is good for three years - All types of containers allowed except for PVC Pipe - Cache must have an Official Geocache Sticker, supplied free by the park or forestry office - Typical rules about not placing caches in protected or delicate natural areas The process: 1. Hider selects location, takes coordinates, fills out the Geocache Identification Form (downloadable from website), but does NOT hide the cache. (Note: From personal experience, I recommend contacting the park BEFORE selecting a location. The ranger will tell you about areas to avoid, and may even suggest a good hiding spot that you might not have known about.) 2. Hider creates cache page to get a GCID and website URL to place on the form, but either asks the approver to hold the cache, or temporarily disables it until the cache is hidden. 3. Hider takes completed form to park or forestry office and signs Geocaching Agreement (separate form with legalese). Hider picks up official sticker to place on cache. 4. Proposed site is reviewed by ranger or forester and is approved or modified. 5. Hider places cache and updates the page on geocaching.com to let everyone know it's placed. It is recommended to use the following graphic on your cache page, approved by DCNR: There is no official policy for other state-managed lands, such as gamelands. In Western PA, I am unaware of any official policies adopted by county, city or other governments. In several parts of the state, cooperative relationships are being developed with managers of Land Conservancy properties. For about the 100th time, I will mention that there should be a special section on the website where summaries of land use policies, like this one, should be collected for easy reference. This thread will drop off the page and someone will ask again in 2 months! I have hidden four caches under the new DCNR rules. All were approved as submitted, and the process was very friendly and fun. The ranger suggested good hiding spots. When I visited the park superintendent to get the paperwork signed, I started to tell him where the caches were, and he said "STOP! Don't tell me!" and pulled out a Garmin Rino 120 from his desk drawer! x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Some mornings, it just doesn't pay to chew through the leather straps. - Emo Phillips Quote Link to comment
+Mxyzptlk Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 quote: The process: This sounds even more painful than going to the DMV. How many people actually go through this process instead of just hiding a cache? Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 Did you read my entire post? I said that the process was "very friendly and fun." I truly believe that my four recent hides are of better quality because I worked with the park staff. They know their land better than I do, as a casual visitor. They steered me away from a delicate plant area, where I was thinking of placing a cache. They pointed out some especially evil terrain that turned out to be GREAT for placing a cache. Yeah, the process requires two trips to the park. I do that anyways... one scouting trip, followed by a placement trip... so that I have two sets of coordinates from different days. What is added on is a visit with a park ranger, which I found to be surprisingly pleasant. Permission, at least at the State level, is the wave of the future for our sport. In Pennsylvania and many other states, that wave is already here. I don't view it any differently than buying a hunting license. The "why bother?" approach, when there is a published process for permission, is what will get geocaching banned by land managers. I am not a rules freak, despite having a law degree. This is my hobby! Several of my caches in local parks or public property are placed under the "don't ask, don't tell" theory, because there is no established geocaching policy. Where there IS a policy, I follow it. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Some mornings, it just doesn't pay to chew through the leather straps. - Emo Phillips Quote Link to comment
+Mxyzptlk Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 quote:Did you read my entire post? Of course I did! I also understand some people may find it fun being locked up in the county slammer, in the showers next to a guy named Bubba when you drop your bar of soap. Kidding aside, I applaud your effort to follow the rules. BUT I would imagine if more and more parks adopt this sort of policy you would have only a handful of people hiding caches. I know I wouldn't go through the process because I honestly do not want to tie up my weekend pushing paperwork around. But that's just my opinion. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 quote:How many people actually go through this process instead of just hiding a cache? If there is an official policy in place, I would hope everyone. Otherwise, it could ruin things for the rest of us if the park officials start finding "rogue caches". I have no problem with reasonable policies, but many park authorities have come up with silly and pointless restrictions. "It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues" -Abraham Lincoln Quote Link to comment
Eeyore and Shadow Posted April 29, 2003 Share Posted April 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Mxyzptlk: BUT I would imagine if more and more parks adopt this sort of policy you would have only a handful of people hiding caches. I know I wouldn't go through the process because I honestly do not want to tie up my weekend pushing paperwork around. I would much rather hunt a cache that I know has been approved by land managers. And hunting quality caches are by far more fun that a high quantigy of poor caches and I believe that a little paperwork and a few trips to the hiding area will lead to higher quality caches. There are a few thigs in the approval process I think are a little more than necessary but we have to play by land managers rules. Eeyore I'm one sat short of triangulation. Quote Link to comment
+Salvelinus Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 quote: BUT I would imagine if more and more parks adopt this sort of policy you would have only a handful of people hiding caches. I know I wouldn't go through the process because I honestly do not want to tie up my weekend pushing paperwork around. You may of read it, but I don't think you absorbed it. Yesterday, I filled out forms to register two caches in a PA State Forest. I spent a grand total of 20 minutes pushing paper. Hardly a weekend long activity. The procedures are friendly enough so people will PROPERLY continue to hide caches. However, it also requires a little bit of committment. Those not willing to give the tiny amount of committment it takes to register a cache, probably should not be placing them anyways. Just my opinion. Salvelinus "The trail will be long and full of frustrations. Life is a whole and good and evil must be accepted together" Ralph Abele Quote Link to comment
+Team OUTSID4EVR Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 Maryland's State Park guidelines can be found on the Maryland Geocaching Society website www.mdgps.net They are similar to PA's, but seem to be less restrictive. MD counties have not really said too much about geocaching. There seems to be tacit approval given there. Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted April 30, 2003 Share Posted April 30, 2003 Maryland has a great policy, which we studied when working on the Pennsylvania policy. It is less restrictive in that there is no time limit, but I'm not bothered by a three-year time limit. That's an eternity in geocaching time. Also, in Maryland it appears that a legalese agreement isn't needed; the agreement may cause some hiders in Pennsylvania to be scared off. The Maryland paperwork is much friendlier. On the other hand, MD doesn't allow ammo cans; the container should be clear. In PA, ammo cans are allowed and the only prohibited container is PVC pipe. On that basis alone, some folks might say that PA's policy is better! Neither is perfect, but both are good policies. I think that MD and PA are the only states in the Northeast region that have official state policies. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Some mornings, it just doesn't pay to chew through the leather straps. - Emo Phillips Quote Link to comment
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