National Parks and Wildlife Service want 8 year old cache removed

[+barefootjeff]

5 minutes ago, justintim1999 said:

Reading the OP I find it odd that the request was to move the cache out of the Nature Preserve.   Why not ask that the cache be moved to a safer location?   When I contacted them the first thing I'd have asked is would it be ok to move the cache to a safer location inside the preserve?  If the answer was "No,  we'd prefer they be removed completely from the area."  That's exactly what I'd do.  No more questions asked.   

Here the Department of Conservation and Recreation have meetings that are open to the public.   You can also sign up for e-mail notices regarding meetings and current projects as well as request public records.   I have no idea how or why this decision was made.   For the most part these are knowledgeable people who's sole purpose is to protect the land and it's wildlife.   If they feel that geocaching is detrimental to that goal,  I respect that and will comply with their wishes with a smile on my face. 

I happen to believe that geocaching is a great way to re-connect people with nature and with any luck some of them will develop an interest in conservation.   It's too bad that this particular institution doesn't share this view.   The fact remains that the decision has been made.   How we respond as cache owners will go a long way toward how others perceive Geocaching.    

Yes, that's why the very first thing I said was that the OP should talk to the ranger - they're the public face of NPWS and, while they don't have the power to approve caches (mine had to be signed off by the Regional Director) they know what's happening on their turf and can make recommendations to those higher up the chain. I gather in this case, the cache was there before the land came under the control of NPWS, but now that it has, they have the final say. Moving the cache might well have been possible - that could be worked out with the ranger - although it'd probably require a formal submission for the proposed new location and the cache would've needed to be disabled while that was going through. I guess it's all moot now that it's been archived, but perhaps it's a lesson for others.

[+The A-Team]

7 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

Moving the cache might well have been possible - that could be worked out with the ranger - although it'd probably require a formal submission for the proposed new location and the cache would've needed to be disabled while that was going through. I guess it's all moot now that it's been archived, but perhaps it's a lesson for others.

I think this whole situation has been a lesson in itself, in that it illustrates a textbook example of how not to handle a request from a land manager.