[Az-Geocaching] Site Steward news letter via ocr

[Brian Cluff]

Here's on OCRed version of the scanned site steward news letter that 
Libby set to the mailing list.
I thought I would save everyone that has a modem from having to download 
a better part of a meggabyte.

Anyway here is the text, and thanks again to Libby for providing the 
information.
--------------------------------------------
Hassayampa Regional
Submitted by
Shelley Rasmussen,
Regional Coordinator

  l wouId like to welcome three new Site Stewards to our region,
Bobby and Dawn C. and Heidi G. - we are glad to have you an
board! A bìg thank you goes to Truman P. for taking on the job of
rebuilding the fences for two historic cemeteries. Octave and
Weaver. Both of these çemeteries had a çorner post break and
the fences were laying on the ground.  This meant the cows
could get into the cemeteries and cause a lot ot damage.
Truman put new posts in and fixed all the fences, buying all of
the supplies out ot his own pocket. Thanks to Truman. the
cemeteries will have protection for years to come.

  We continue to have problems with geoching at sites.
although most of the offending geocaches have been remoyed.
There are some geocaches that are Still active apparently the
geocachers are not following the land managers' policies and
their own rules about not posting caches at archaeological
sites without the land owners'/managers' permission (the
exception being on the Tonto  NF where they haue open permission to 
caçhe by Forest
Archaeologist, Scott Wood). Site Stewards will continue to
keep an eye on archaeological sites that are adversaly affected
and report those instancss and conditions to the appropriate
and manager.

By Rand Hubbell, Marícopa Country Parks

  Geocaching has been described as treasure hunting for the 21st 
century. Equipped with
a GPS (Global Positioning System) and a set of coordinates, found on the 
geocaching web
site, anyone can particpate. Beyond the cost of the GPS unit there is no 
cost to geocaching
and participation is growing very, very rapidly. As of early february, 
there were 41.56O active
caches wor1dwide in 161 countries and 1,2O3 of those caches are in 
Arizona.  Geocaching
began in May of 2DOO when Dave Ulmer in Portland, Oregon hid a cache and 
then told
friends the coordinales who went out three days later and found it using 
a GPS.

  Geocaching does what many land managers have hoped to achieve for 
years. It gets
individuals, friends, couples and families out into Arizona's open 
spaces, hiking and enjoying
natural Arizona. Clearly, there are many and in fact most, aspects of 
geocaching that
are vey positive. Geocache coordinators are encouraging cachers to take 
trash bags and to
cary out trash found along their way.

   The container usually has a log on which discoverers sign-in and 
comment. several trinkets
that can be taken if replaced by something of similar ualue.  Geocaching 
now includes
many variations, including the virtual cache. Virtual caches are those 
where there is nothing
to find. but upon reaching the coordinates you take a photograph of 
yourseJf usually showing
a significant landmark behind or in front of you.

  Maricopa Couny Parks and Rereation Departrnent became aware ot 
geocaching in
the late spring of 2OO2.  The Site Steward  Regional Coordinator for the 
Hassayampa
Region area made a presentation at our park

supervisors meeting and described several reports that she had receiued 
from Site
Stewards who reported increased visitation and new trails leading to 
archeological sites that
they monitor as volunteers.  Archeological sites, which previously were 
visited half a
dozen times a year, now had doubled that number in the first quarter.

  During the summer of 2OO2 several news papers throughout the United 
States publíshed
articles discussing the pros and cons of geocaching and expressed the 
concerns of land
managers of parks systems, wilderness areas and wildlife preserves all 
of which had caches
placed upon them.  Concerns increased on both sides of the issue.  For 
land managers
concerns for the protection of their sensitive sìtes may require new 
policies, some considered
new laws to control geocaching.  For the geocachers concerns about being 
locked out
were increasing. would land managers unilaterally band the activity and 
what would happen to
violators?  Would they be issued citations and face fines or arrest?

 Near the end of August, Mary Estes, the State Program Coordinator for 
the Arizona Site
Steward Program was having a conversation with a local geocacher, Steve 
Gross, when the
idea of getting key individuls from both sides together to discuss and 
possibly resolve the
conflicts between "cachers" and land managemers.  David Roan, an intern 
with the Bureau
of Land Management joined Mary and Steve in planning the meeting, which 
was set for
September 27th in the Memorial Union at ASU.  On a busy Friday night, 
about 3O participants
and observers met to discuss this important issue.  Representatives from 
many of the public
land managers and two lndian communities, attended and so did several 
active geocachers.
After introductions and a presentation on geocaching, representalives 
from the land managing
agencies made statements, which included both support and concern for 
the activity.  The
two sides broke into smaller groups. accord:ng to geographical areas, to 
discuss issues and
access to specific areas.
  The founders of geocaching established rules that resolue the primary 
concerns of land
managers. An original caching rule stated that when placing a cache on 
private or pubIic land.
prior approval should be sought from the land manager. which was agreed 
on by all those present
as the protocol to continue.

  These two rules resolve most of the concerms expressed by the land 
managers.  At the
September 27th meeting Marioopa County Parks distributed a statement 
that simply asked geocachers
to follow these two rules and to remove caches placed before last May, 
which had been
hìdden on or near archeological sites. Maricopa County also said in 
their position statement that
when notified of the desire to place a cache within a county park. the 
park representative would.
1) Notity the hider of the cache, if they had inadvertently placed a 
cache on an archaeological or
historical site
2) Monitor the site for degradation of tha surrounding area and request 
that the
cache be moved when wear appears.
3) Require that if a cache is placed within 2 miles of a traìlhead, that 
the cache be within 3 feet
of the trail. Beyond 2 mites of the trailhead the 3-Foot limit would not 
apply.

   At the writing of this article, it appears that no new policies or 
laws will be required by land managing
agencies.  The geocachers have agreed to more stringently enforce their 
own rules and
hopefully caches that violate them will not be listed on their web site 
until relocated.  Both sides
now have contacts to whom questions can be asked and cooperation 
expected. Geocaching
continues to grow, more virtual caches are being sought and most 
importantly Arizonans are getting
out to see their public lands.  Geocaching is bringing out Arizonans to 
hike and discover the
beautiful vistas and riparian areas that are natural Arizona.


A BRIGHT SIDE TO THE GEOCACHING ISSUE
By Shelley Rasmussen
Hassayampa Regional Coordinator

There is a bright side to the problem of geocaches being placed at 
archaeological sites.
There are three geocachers that have stated on the internet that because 
the geocaches
were located at archaeological sites, they chose not to disturb the site 
by going there.
These geocachers deserve recognition.  They are "tackwondoman", " 
Offtrail" and "jerryz"
Thank you for showing the archaeological and geocaching communities that 
you abide by
game rules.  There is also a geocacher or geocachers called "cache 
cops," who are leaving
information and brochures at some of the geocached sites to inform and 
educate the less
educated geocachers.  Thank you "cache cops" for policing you own.