I spent sometime today with the Prescott National Forest Recreation &
Wilderness Team Leader.
Monday, September 9, 2002
As of this date the information below is correct as far as he knows. I
was asking these questions back
in February before I placed some of my caches on and in the Prescott
National Forest.
"Illegal"? I do not think so. Hope this helps?
- Ken AKA-Lincoln Prescott
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This was from the Washington D.C. office of the National Forest.
Subject: Geocaching
To:
khenson@cableone.net
From: "Jim B Miller/WO/USDAFS" <
jbmiller01@fs.fed.us>
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 08:09:42 -0500
X-MIMETrack: Serialize by Router on ENTWOA/E/USDAFS(Release 5.0.8 |June
18, 2001) at 02/08/2002
08:15:16 AM
MIME-Version: 1.0
Apparently-To: <
khenson@cableone.net>
You expressed some concerns regarding geocaching. What are your specific
concerns? Thanks jbm
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----- Forwarded by Jim B Miller/WO/USDAFS on 02/08/2002 01:19 PM -----
Ken Henson
<khenson@cabl To: "Jim B Miller/WO/USDAFS"
eone.net> <jbmiller01@fs.fed.us>
cc:
02/08/2002 Subject: Re: Geocaching
12:25 PM
>You expressed some concerns regarding geocaching. What are your
specific
>concerns? Thanks jbm
Geocaching is an up and coming sport. It is growing very rapidly. I
have
placed a cache in the Prescott National Forest. My specific concerns are
is this a legal activity?
Several caches in the Prescott area have been placed by the Yavapai
County
Jeep Posse. These are visited by cache visitors (general public) and
Jeep
Posse members during training exercises.
Here are two examples:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=6232
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=9423
I have visited a cache that had a log entry from a USFS employee. The
entry seemed to question the legal status of Geocaching on public land.
What I really want to know is whether or not Geocaching is legal on
public
lands administered by the US Forest Service.
Thanks for you time, Ken Henson
Subject: Re: Geocaching
To:
khenson@cableone.net
From: "Jim B Miller/WO/USDAFS" <
jbmiller01@fs.fed.us>
Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 15:05:51 -0500
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18, 2001) at 02/08/2002
03:14:40 PM
MIME-Version: 1.0
Apparently-To: <
khenson@cableone.net>
----- Forwarded by Jim B Miller/WO/USDAFS on 02/08/2002 03:04 PM -----
Jim B Miller
To:
02/08/2002 cc:
01:57 PM Subject: Re: Geocaching
Mr. Henson:
We do not have a national policy on geocaching at this time.
Consideration
of such a policy is being reviewed. Regions or National Forests may have
specific policies. We recommend that before placing geocaches on
National
Forest System lands that proposals be submitted to the local forest
staff.
The concerns expressed to date include litter; abandonment of private
property; impacts on threatend and endangered species; impacts on
heritage
sites; impacts to vegetation, soils, waterways; impact on the wilderness
resource; and social impacts. These concerns may be increased if motor
vehicles are operated numerous times directly to sites.
We encourage the public to utilize Leave No Trace at
www.lnt.org and
Tread
Lightly! at
www.treadlightly.org principles and guidelines in the use of
the national forests and other public lands.
Thanks.
Jim Miller
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This was from the Region 3 Office that includes the PNF
Subject: your geocaching question
To:
khenson@cableone.net
Cc: "Stephen Harper/R3/USDAFS" <
sharper@fs.fed.us>
From: "Peter Mourtsen/R3/USDAFS" <
pmourtsen@fs.fed.us>
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2002 10:05:28 -0700
X-MIMETrack: Serialize by Router on ENTR3A/E/USDAFS(Release 5.0.8 |June
18, 2001) at 02/11/2002
10:09:25 AM
MIME-Version: 1.0
Apparently-To: <
khenson@cableone.net>
Ken: If it is a commercial activity (ie.. a fee is being charged), a
recreation special use permit would be needed. That permit could be
applied for through the specific Ranger District where the cache is to be
located. If the cache was proposed placed in a sensitive area such as
an
archeological site, endangered species nesting area, etc. then the use
might not be appropriate. If it is not a commercial use a permit is not
required. Sorry it took awhile to respond, since I don't normally deal
with recreation special uses I had to check with folks in our Regional
Office. /Pete
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