Prophetstown State Park

[+Car54]

We live very near Indiana's newest state park - Prophetstown SP in Lafayette, IN, and we want to place a cache there. Since most, if not all, of the other IN state parks have caches, I assumed the IN DNR policy was to allow caches. Nevertheless, I called the local park office before placing the cache. For one thing, Prophetstown is different from all other IN state parks in that it is a prairie restoration park. Therefore, environmental concerns about off-trail activity is very real.

 

3 weeks ago, I talked to the asst. park manager, who said he was familiar with our sport, having come from another IN state park. He didn't sound too thrilled with the idea and stressed that IF they allowed it, they'd want to know the co-ords in advance so they could check the suitability of the location, they would want to be contacted for permission for each and every cache in the park, etc. I agreed to that and I talked up the positives of the sport - more visitors (& $) to the park, CITO, public use of public land, etc. He said they'd discuss it and he'd call me back.

 

Today, having heard nothing, I called back and this time got the park manager. If anything, he was less thrilled than his asst. I volunteered to be a local contact for them, stressed that I would emphasize on the cache page that ALL caches required PRIOR approval, that I'd come to retrieve any unapproved caches and contact their owners, etc. He said he'd discuss it with his regional supervisor when he comes to visit in a few weeks.

 

I've also e-mailed our local approver to let him/her know not to approve any caches in this park yet. I'm getting the feeling that permission is going to be denied. Is there anything else I can do? Would it help for someone else more experienced (we've only been cachers since 4/04, 180+ finds, 1 hide so far) - like maybe the local approver - to contact them? I'm open to any advice.

[+Renegade Knight]

Your on the right track. But if you are going to be the one to work with the park, make it known with your local cache organization what you are doing, and also double check to be sure that someone else isn't also working on the issue. Combined efforts work better than independant efforts.

Edited October 5, 2004 by Renegade Knight

[+Car54]

RK,

 

Doh! Why didn't I think of that? I just sent an e-mail to the IN geocaching group with a link to this topic.

 

Thanks!

[+Renegade Knight]

The Indiana group has in the past indicated they had someone working with the park system. However I don't know if they are active or not at this point in time.

 

The Indiana Park system does have a geocaching committee. Email me and when I get home I can give you the name of the head of the committee. If I can find it I can also give you the persons name who was working with them from the Indiana group.

[+RPW]

A side note just in case: Illinois has a Prophetstown SP as well. Car54 is talking about the new Indiana one.

 

IndyDiver was the contact to the Indiana State Parks. He posted a note over a year ago on the InGeo site (www.indianageocaching.com) saying that the State Parks were not going to make a policy. Of course this may have changed. Also I can not find IndyDiver's notice any more and so can not quote it. Getting hold of any of the people who put on the fall picnic -- Daggy, Deermark, KepNFit, Indy Diver -- or SouthFace (who is active in InGeo) might get a response on what is happening through the official group.

 

It would be nice to have a cache in Prophetstown SP. Although I can see that because they are making a nature preserve they may have limits. On the other hand they are creating camping, picnic areas, and a bike trail and therefore the SP is not completely "all nature". Make sure that you are talking to the SP people themselves and not the "Museum at Prophetstown" which, as far as I can tell, are different people.

[+Gary and Mary Adventurers]

I recently got an email from Indy Diver informing some of the Indiana geocachers that the DNR is having an open meeting tomorrow 10-19-2004 at 10:00 am . The meeting will be held at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, and will deal with the establishment of a statewide policy for caches in state parks. The tentative regs involve a free permit that would be valid for one year. Several other rules involving density of caches in a park, and limiting the nuber of hide per user are also being discussed. It could be that the Prophetstown people are waiting till after this meeting before deciding what to do about caches on their property.

 

The rules at least would give a consistant statewide method of placing caches in state parks.

[+RPW]

... DNR is having an open meeting tomorrow 10-19-2004 at 10:00 am ....

Neat. If anyone goes (I'm 60+ miles away and, besides, have to work ) then let us know what happens.

[+AirRaidFan]

I recently got an email from Indy Diver informing some of the Indiana geocachers that the DNR is having an open meeting tomorrow 10-19-2004 at 10:00 am . The meeting will be held at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, and will deal with the establishment of a statewide policy for caches in state parks. The tentative regs involve a free permit that would be valid for one year. Several other rules involving density of caches in a park, and limiting the nuber of hide per user are also being discussed. It could be that the Prophetstown people are waiting till after this meeting before deciding what to do about caches on their property.

 

The rules at least would give a consistant statewide method of placing caches in state parks.

Any update on the meeting?

[+Car54]

Any update on the meeting?[/quote

 

I've been wondering the same thing. I haven't heard back from the SP manager yet, either.

[+RPW]

Heads up that part of the Nov. DNR meeting will talk about geocaching.

 

The Garrison, Ft. Harrison State Park

6002 North Post Road

Indianapolis, Indiana

November 16, 2004

10:00 a.m., EST

 

See item #9 of

http://www.in.gov/nrc/minutes/current_agenda

or directly in PDF format

http://www.in.gov/nrc/minutes/current_agenda/item9.pdf

 

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the meeting. However if other people can do so -- or if you wish to write in your comments -- the DNR would probably be glad that you did so.