South Carolina Geocaching

[+jtd18801]

With all this talk about Geocachng beeing banned in S.C. I've been wondering if the state bands it there then other states may loose geocaching and the only way to cache is out of the country.

 

What are some other thoughts about this?

[+sbell111]

No state can ban geocaching. It can be prohibited in certain state-controlled areas. This has been the case since day one. Many governmental agencies do not allow caches on property which they control.

[+briansnat]

They are not going to ban geocaching. Where did you get this load of codswallop?

[+briansnat]

Be advised: I like the word codswallop and will be using it liberally until a new favorite word takes its place.

[+carleenp]

I doubt you will see a lot of bandwagon effect. In many states regulation of such things is already done by various agencies and I doubt legislatures would feel the need to step in.

 

I think the SC thing is rather unique because it appears to have started from some cemetary concerns not actually related to caching and then was drafted to broadly define things so that caching would be difficult in many many areas. My understanding is that a historical area under the bill could include entire towns etc. I could see some general desires to ban cemetaries without permission etc, but beyond that I doubt many states would make the same overbroad drafting mistakes. For example, here the state parks ban caching in State Historical areas, but that has a narrow meaning here and there are not many of them. Caching is allowed here in State Parks, recreation areas, wildlife management areas, various parks etc. Some areas require permits and some specifically allow it without a permit.

 

I suppose it would depend on the state. I have no concerns here in the Midwest. Our legislature is simply too busy to try to regulate a game that is already covered by various local regulations. I would guess that many others are the same.

[+carleenp]

Be advised: I like the word codswallop and will be using it liberally until a new favorite word takes its place.

As long as it keeps you from having angst.

[+Renegade Knight]

Even if SC goes south, there will be good lessons learned that will help fight the issue when and if it comes up elsewhere.

 

I recently spoke to one land manager here in Idaho and their reaction to what SC was doing was incredulity that someone would bother regulating geocaching and create more work for everyone since geocaching itself is harmless.

[manjack]

I would expect a bandwagon effect. Many state archeologists, natuaral area managers and historic site managers are hostile to any public initiated activity on what they really believe to be "their property." It is really a matter or status and power. Of course, without funding, this now often means little or nothing happens on many government own historic sites. They're content to run the occassional paid tour, but the unmanaged public is really precieved as a nusance by most site managers.

 

You can expect these very frustrated people (they've become irrelevant through years of budget cuts and no longer have much positive to do) to hear about this from each other, email this text around the country and find similar bills introduced in many other states.

 

It offers them a way to vent their frustration on a public which seems uninterested, uninformed and unwilling to see that they have sufficient funding.

 

In SC, Charles Town Landing is virtually abandoned. Staff has been cut to a total on 9, the museum has been closed since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the pioneer wooden ship has been sitting on the ground for over six months awaiting repairs after it sank at the dock last summer and was hauled out. The picnic areas have been removed, the trash cans have been taken out and the playground structures were torn down and hauled away. The pioneer village was torn down about five years ago.

 

The managers of the park had historically justified reasons for most of this, but the real reason is they have no money. Attendance at the park continues to fall.

 

At one time there was a geocache in the Charles Town Landing (which charges admission) and the comments in the logs about the parks condition were very negative. People felt cheated of their time and money when they visited. I suspect logs like that about the sad state of our state historic sites are one of the real motivators behind this legislation.

 

Geocaching offered a way to expose some of these sites to the public, but in SC, at least, that won't be an option much longer if this passes. In some cases, at least where admission is being charged, that is probably a good thing since many of these places are no longer worth visiting.

Edited April 19, 2005 by manjack

[+StarBrand]

Be advised: I like the word codswallop and will be using it liberally until a new favorite word takes its place.

I suppose there are worse words to get stuck on..........

 

As for South Caarolina - don't give up - it isn't law yet. Continue to educate and tear down thier arguments one by one and we won't have to worry about any domino effect.

 

I agree with Carleenp - most states have important issues to worry about and since there are many common sense rules in place it just doesn't need elevated that high.

 

I guess that means that the SC bill is nothing more than codswallop.

[+Deliveryguy428]

I am a nice guy but seriously threads that are untruthful really make me upset when the truth is right there in front of you.

 

THERE IS NO BAN ON GEOCACHING IN SC BEING DISCUSSED!!!!

They only want to ban them from certain areas(graveyards, Historical Sites etc.) ...and also the use of ALL GPS's in those area....."Excuse me Mr. Gov your here in Charleston and are using your GPS, we need to arrest you" yeah this bill is going to fly...NO

 

If you want to see what is going on in SC I suggest you read the thread:

South Carolina Legistlative Meeting

 

I am not trying to attack the owner of this thread in any sort of way so please do not take it as one, just make sure you know what is going on...btw, you might want to close this topic just so we can keep the threads going to one central location about this topic.

[+carleenp]

I agree that keeping it consolidated in one thread is likely better.

[Keystone]

Sorry, I'm told over here that it's better to lock the first thread and let the new one stay open. I am informed that there's too much thread locking going on.

[+briansnat]

This thread is a bit different. The other is about the problem in SC. This is about the future of geocaching if the "ban" goes through.

[+carleenp]

This thread is a bit different. The other is about the problem in SC. This is about the future of geocaching if the "ban" goes through.

Good point. They do overlap some, but yet are also different.

[Stony2008]

Who cares if the thread overlaps or is exactly the same. I think the mods can use their better judgment to decide weather or not the thread needs closed (hence the title, forum moderator) and its not our job to tell them what to do (really i don't know whose job it is but its not mine).

 

Gosh

[+The Commissar!]

No point in discussing this codswallop cause it ain't (my son tells me this is now a real word) gonna happen! Restrict in a few areas maybe but not without a fight! but the codswallop sucking codswallops have to answer to the voting public eventually...regardless of their below board tactics and outright lies...

 

take a deep breath now, everything will be ok

[+carleenp]

Who cares if the thread overlaps or is exactly the same. I think the mods can use their better judgment to decide weather or not the thread needs closed (hence the title, forum moderator) and its not our job to tell them what to do (really i don't know whose job it is but its not mine).

 

Gosh

I think you misread me. I was not suggesting how anyone should do their job. I first suggested that I felt one thread was better for it all and then re-thought it. In the end it is OK w/ me what is done either way. I just kind of liked Brian's point.

[uperdooper]

PEOPLE, DON'T MAKE ME USE THIS!!!!!

 

[+carleenp]

[Stony2008]

I think you misread me. I was not suggesting how anyone should do their job. I first suggested that I felt one thread was better for it all and then re-thought it. In the end it is OK w/ me what is done either way. I just kind of liked Brian's point. 

 

I apologize i didn't mean you. i was directing what i said at the type of people that posted that on thread that the moderator refereed to.

[+carleenp]

I see. Internet communication makes it hard to tell at times. No worries, my posts still have smilies!

[+AtoZ]

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Can people read SC is NOT banning geocaching statewide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

They are only banning it in archeological sites, State Parks and cemetaries. And it is becasue geocachers can act in approperately, I wanted to use a diffeanant word but didn't, at times and the woman putting through this bill found it offensive. So why do people say geocaching is being banned or give the impression of a total ban in SC. IT IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If we want to keep up the sport then we have to learn to be respectiveful of out environment. Okay cemetaries maybe fun sites for caches but many people find folks running aroound rooting around head stones etc.... disrespectful. But we need to be sensitive to other, just as you need to be respectful to the environment when you place a cache or are looking for one.

cheers

[+carleenp]

It is not a bill to ban caching in general. But because SC has entire towns and other large areas that are historic areas, the bill would make caching in the state quite difficult in areas. That really is more the topic of the other thread though.

[+bdsimon]

That is a good point. I will look in to that and see what is up with all the other states.

[jdoe]

Here is an article I found that should clear things up... there is even a specific reference to this site as well as what appears to have sparked this legislation.

 

Article from the Beaufort Gazette

[+wkhaz]

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Can people read SC is NOT banning geocaching statewide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

They are only banning it in archeological sites, State Parks and cemetaries.  And it is becasue geocachers can act in approperately, I wanted to use a diffeanant word but didn't, at times and the woman putting through this bill found it offensive.  So why do people say geocaching is being banned or give the impression of a total ban in SC.  IT IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They amended bill would, in part, make it illegal to geocache and use a GPS to locate ANYTHING in a cemetery, archeological sites, or on the historic properties of the State, as defined in Section 60-12-10(4), the South Carolina Inventory of Historic Properties, or the African-American National Register.

 

They added the part about the South Carolina Inventory of Historic Properties. Since the SCDOT has to survey areas before and during road construction and widening projects, they list those areas (roads) on the South Carolina Inventory of Historic Properties.

 

As such, that list includes entire towns, Interstate Highways, and Primary and Secondary road systems statewide. So it would be illegal to use a GPS in your car, boat, or plane to locate a house, hospital, or restaurant while in these areas without written permission from the owners of all of the properties.

 

The other thread [sC Legislation] has alot more up-to-date information on this.