[Az-Geocaching] RE: More info (LONG)

[Team Tierra Buena]

I can hear what you are saying about my post, however, I would like to hear
more of what you have to say on this topic. I know Carla and realize some
difficulties you may have come across. I will take your advice and put my
thoughts out of my head, but cannot bury my head when I know what is right
or wrong outweighs who is right or wrong. What is your history/connection
with this topic? Tell me more than "just forget it".

 

You're right. You and the other relative newcomers should know a bit more
about why you have a better chance of getting a cache in a National Park
than you do in the Preserve.

 

If you haven't figured it out yet, I was the [expletive deleted] that showed
up at that meeting in an attempt to get the Commission to reconsider their
original decision to ban caching, which had been made as soon as they heard
about it, with no attempt to solicit public input. Claire Miller, the
Preserve manager, was sympathetic to giving Geocaching a trial period, but
Claire serves at the pleasure of the Commission as an employee of the city.

 

On Claire's advice, I was told to submit a written request to the Commission
to have the policy reconsidered, which I did on December 11, 2002. I was
told to prepare a presentation in support of my argument, which I did (I
still have the PowerPoint). I was granted a slot on the agenda at the
meeting of April, 2003.

 

Now, a couple of pieces of background here. I learned of the Commission's
original ban at the Land Managers' meeting of September, 2002. That was less
than three months after Arizona Repugnant originally raked their muck. So
the Commission wasted no time responding to that bit of alarmism. The other
thing you should know or recall is that the summer of '02 saw many public
lands closed due to the fire danger. On June 21, a then-young cacher went
after a now-archived cache that many of us, me included, thought was on
State Trust land. Subsequently, we learned it was within the Preserve by a
few hundred feet. Regardless, he did two things: He entered the Preserve in
spite of the closed sign, and he posted that fact in his online log. You can
read it at: http://tinyurl.com/5rndy.

 

The perpetrator, by the way, is now serving his country in the uniform of
the US Navy and has grown up a bit. But I'll bet you a dollar if you ask
Carla today why she opposes caching in the Preserve, she will bring this up
in less than two minutes, as though it were a daily occurrence. (She
probably thinks Geocachers dumped that car body out on the Taliesin Trail,
too, but since nobody ever logged that she can't say it publicly.) To this
day I think the worst thing I ever did to Geocaching was to not follow my
instinct and convince that young man to delete or amend his log the instant
I saw it.

 

Okay, back to the meeting. I think it's instructive to read the first major
item on the agenda that evening, even though it has nothing to do with
Geocaching. About two months prior to this meeting, you may recall, a plane
took off on a moonless night from Scottsdale Airport and crashed into
McDowell Peak, killing both its occupants. This agenda item was the
Commission's response. Instead of trying to figure out how to make the
preserve safer, they brought in the Airport to try and ban aircraft from
flying over the Preserve! (It turns out they are legally powerless to do
this.)

 

Now, after they get this bit of bad news, it's my turn. I am blindsided with
the information that a) they will not permit me to make my presentation as I
was courteous enough to make copies for everyone at my own expense, and b) I
am instructed that I may speak only in direct response to questions from the
Commissioners.

 

There weren't a lot of questions. Carla began with her rant about how
Geocachers were hell-bent on destroying archaeological sites (it must be
true, it was in the Repugnant) and ignoring "keep out" signs. When I tried
to rebut those points, the Commission Chair instructed me to be quiet as I
was not responding to a question. One of the newer Commissioners thought
Geocaching sounded like a harmless, family-oriented activity, but she was
quickly straightened out by the rest of the Commission.

 

I did get a chance to bring up CITO, but Carla maintained that the Stewards
and other volunteers would do that ".without having to leave litter of their
own.". And when I was able to point out that we would increase Preserve
visitation, Carla said (not an exact quote, but close enough), ".we don't
need increased visitation from this kind of people. We have our own programs
for bringing people out here."

 

By this point there were no brows left to be beaten. The vote against
reconsideration (in other words, we're voting against just THINKING about
it, let alone actually DOING anything) was unanimous.

 

You know, between the National Forests, the BLM, and State Trust Land, who
needs 'em?

 

Steve

Team Tierra Buena

 

NOW I am going to bed.

 

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