[Az-Geocaching] Another Tucson cache bites it

[Baja Fleg]

So the stick beating and dragging behind the Jeeps stands!!!  woohoo!!!

Michael


----Original Message Follows----
Hmmmm,

I guess it is time for me to weigh in on some of these issues.  I usually
just lurk, particularly on issues relating to the management of public
lands, since I work for one of the agencies that is often much cussed and
discussed.  I certainly don't wish to be accused of being 'undercover'....

First, I pretty well figured out that Ranger51 worked for the NPS since I
first got into Geocaching last January.  It is likely a radio callsign.  It
would follow what was a pretty standard NPS format, but then it has been
over 20 years since I worked for the NPS.  I don't think that there was any
intent to be "undercover", if so, why choose such an obvious link to the
NPS?

Second, s/he may very well of been given marching orders to remove caches
located on NPS administered lands.  It may not of been the ranger's choice.
Often times the field personnel are given direction to do some pretty
unpopular (even among the staff) things.  This is certainly true in my case.
On my unit, I was the most vocal and outspoken critic of  the "Recreation
Fee Demonstration" program implemented on USFS and BLM land (as well as
raising to astronomical levels <sorry Jim> the entrance fee at the most
popular National Parks).  What happen?  I was made the "Rec Fee Coordinator"
.  The outcome?  After a rather lengthy and loud argument concerning "Rec
Fee" with my supervisor I found myself facing administrative charges for
engaging in work place violence.  I was suspended for 45 days, demoted, and
moved into a non-public contact, technical support position.  The only thing
that saved me from being "separated" (that's fired for those of you who
don't speak governmentese), were some "extenuating circumstances" (and a
good, if agressive lawyer).  I'll probably never get another promotion, but
I've reached the point where I don't really care.  The point?  Sometimes in
government work you end up having to do things you really don't want to do.

Third, there has been much discussion about working with the local units
(District Rangers, Recreation Staff, Field Office Managers, etc.).  This
would be an ideal situation.  And I think it would work well with the USFS,
BLM, and probably the FWS (opps, US Fish and Wildlife Service).  My
experience is that those agencies (well, maybe not the FWS) are given more
autonomy at the field level.  However, since the early '90's, Recreation
staff officers have been severely reduced.  They are, in my opinion--and I
have a pretty good idea of what they are expected to do, since I used to be
one--pretty overworked.  Frequently that have to deal with special uses,
leases, the mineral program, communication sites, trespass issues, boundary
adjustments, blah, blah, blah, in addition to the recreation program.
Many of these programs have received congressional direction--that is
congress has told us to do it, so it almost always gets done.  That rarely
leaves much time for administering the recreation program.  Since BLM and
USFS administered lands are "managed under the principals of multiple use
and sustained yield" (and, yes, I wish someone would explain what that means
to me, too) geocaching would seem to be perfectly acceptable activity.  It
is rare that the NPS deals with these issues--they usually just say no (an
over simplification, they have the law, not just regulations on their side).
The point?  Yea, work with the local folks if you can, but often you're
going to find someone facing other deadlines, doesn't want to increase their
workload, and if they don't say, "No", right away probably would be happy
with a "Don't ask, don't tell" relationship.  But make sure you don't draw
attention to your cache by putting it in a sensitive area.

Fourth,  You can always go over the local folks head.  From the local
recreation staff you can present your case to the local line officer,  and
you can keep working your way up the chain.  It is frustrating and can take
a while.  You can also contact your local congressional delegation, and the
chairs of the appropriate House and Senate Committees.  This gets very
risky.  You may in up with something you don't like.  I can visualize a
whole much of outcomes that result splintering the geocaching community,
thus giving it an even smaller voice than it has.  But, my experience is
that the NPS is far more sensitive to congressional inquiries than either
the USFS or the BLM

Fifth,  I have reviewed a 1997 map of the area in question, and I agree with
Jim,  I think this cache was at least 500 feet outside the boundary of the
park.  Unless there was a recent boundary adjustment it looked to be about
1/10 of a mile out of the park.  If I can get to the BLM office (unlikely as
busy as I've been) I'll check the MTPs (opps there I go again, that's Master
Title Plats), kind of the offical US government surveys, they used to be on
microfiche (sp?), maybe they're on the net now.  Need to look by Township
and Range....

OK, so who do I work far?  I will mention this at some risk, being a
government employee doesn't always mean that the First Amendment applies to
you (I DO speak from experience)....

Coronado National Forest, Radio System Manager (12/2001-Present)
Cleveland National Forest (San Diego, CA), variety of positions, last Radio
System Manager (10/1993-12/2002)
Santa Fe National Forest, Public Affairs Officer (3/1989-10/1993)
Ridgecrest (CA) RA Office, BLM, Interpretive Specialist (4/1981-3/1989)
Rawlins (WY), DO BLM, Wilderness Specialist (12/1978-4/1981)
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site, (what a name
for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis), Ranger, NPS (6/74-12/78)
and seasonal Park Service jobs while going to college.

FWIW:  I always wanted to work in Civil War battlefields (my degree is in
Recreation, with a minor in American History), my father wanted me to be an
EE.  Now I work with radios.  Dad was right....

Note, that I work on radios.  Lotsa radios.  Close to 500 (repeaters, base
stations, mobiles, and portables) radios. I really don't have anything to do
about the management of National Forest System lands.  I will probably never
again be in a position where I can influence management decisions on
geocaching on Forest Service administered lands.  I'm not sure I would want
to be in such a position.

My wife and I have used geocaching to learn our new hometown.  We have
greatly enjoyed it.  Since our home is under construction (well, we're
having trouble getting a building permit from Pima County, but that's
another story...) we have not yet placed any caches, but we have some ideas
and at the end of fire season (which started awful early this year) and when
our house is completed we hope to be offering some challenges.  We enjoyed
meeting many cacher's at the "See You as Sus" event, and we look forward to
other get-togethers.

Team Boulder Creek
Fred Coe (my wife is Bonnie)
Coronado-91 (after today maybe Coronado-9 or even CNF Comm-1, who knows?,
who cares?, my work radio callsign)
WA0RTO (my amateur radio callsign)
wa0rto@hotmail.com

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