[Az-Geocaching] We need more difficult geocaches, not fewer

[C. Sullivan]

I think a few people misinterpreted my statement regarding a 24-hour
rule (never place a cache that you can't get to within 24 hours).  
This was designed to be a rule of thumb, not something that should be
enforced by Geocaching.Com as a hard fast rule.  Obviously, there will
need to be some allowances made for difficult-to-reach locations.

But the thinking is valid.  If it's so far away from where you live that
there's no reasonable way you can get there on short notice, how is
placing a Geocache any different than littering? 


The state of affairs is that there are a lot of caches out there that are
poorly maintained.  Many have been cache-pirated.  Some have been
ransacked by homeless, their paper contents strewn about the area creating
an eyesore.  How would you feel if you were the public parks attendant
that was required to clean up the aftermath?

It is my personal opinion that this "abandonment" issue is one that we as
a community will need to solve if our hobby is ever to mature and to get
the respect we apparently want from the National Park Service and others.
It's frustrating for seekers, it's frustrating for park rangers, and it's
damaging to the environment and the reputation of our fledgling
hobby.  

I'm not sure what the answer is.  I am sure, however, that the NPS policy
will only spread to other parks as bad cache maintainers continue to
create nuisances and problems for park rangers.  It has already
begun: geocaching is a specifically prohibited activity in a few city park
systems in Colorado.  Why?  Littering and impact concerns.