This topic contains 10 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by 
-
Posts
-
quote:
Original Message Follows:
From: (name withheld)
Subject: GeoCaching on National Wildlife Refuges
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 07:41:06 -0500This email will serve as notice to your organization regarding geocaching on federal lands, specifically lands owned or leased by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. This office has received information that individuals associated with the act of geocaching have been placing and searching for caches on National Wildlife Refuges throughout the United States.
The placement of any object on a National Wildlife Refuge is a violation of several Federal regulations including the following:
16USC668dd, 50CFR 27.93, Abandonment of Property
16USC668dd, 50 CFR26.21a, Trespass
16USC668dd 50CFR 27.63 Search for and removal of other valued objects
16USC668dd 50 CFR 27.97 Private Operations
Other violations of federal law may apply.The maximum penalty for each specific violation per person is up to $5000.00 and or 6 months in jail. The maximum penalty for a corporation involved in the violation is up to $100,000.00 and or 1year in jail per offense.
In addressing your website you identify the National Park Service as an area which is not approved for your activity. The National Park Service adjoins the US Fish and Wildlife Service within the Department of the Interior and has similar restrictions as to geocaching. This communication will serve as notice to your organization that the activity known as geocaching is not permitted on National Wildlife Refuges and is a violation of Federal law. Federal Officers have begun prosecuting individuals
involved in geocaching on National Wildlife Refuges which results in a permanent Federal criminal record following conviction in a Federal court. In the interest of protecting individuals who are being mislead by erroneous information I strongly suggest you update your website to reflect the US Fish and Wildlife Service owned and leased lands as areas not to be used for geocaching.Law Enforcement Specialist (name withheld)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Office of Refuge Law Enforcement
4401 N.Fairfax Drive
Arlington, Va 22203
Ph- (number withheld)hmmm, ‘nuf said.
Cathunter, what is your ‘Organization’? And where is your website? Any idea why the US Fish and Wildlife Service sent this to you?
quote:
Originally posted by CacheCows:
Cathunter, what is your ‘Organization’? And where is your website? Any idea why the US Fish and Wildlife Service sent this to you?Oops, sorry! I claim ownership to only a very small part of the organization.
This is a copy of a letter which was recently recieved by Groundspeak.
[This message has been edited by Cathunter (edited 11-30-2003).]
I saw this posted in the gc.com forums a few days ago. As a result, I archived my “Up, Down, and Around” cache that was hidden on an island in the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge.
In an effort to comply with Big Brother, if you are aware of a cache in violation of these rules, please advise me via email.
We’ll need to archive the cache and ask the owner to remove it.
Admin-Brian
[email protected]Well it’s been a month since this message was posted and no one has removed any of the caches located on some of the Federal Refuges. I’ve started to systematically archive caches which are in violation of FWS rules.
Today I started looking at the Horicon Marsh Federal Wildlife Refuge. I archived 5 caches which were inside the refuge. Some of which were just barely inside the refuge, but had to be archived.
I’m concerned for the welfare of two travel bugs were are located in two of the archived caches. The caches with bugs are: GCGW1P, and GC336B. Hopefully the cache owners will remove the caches soon and set the bugs free. Otherwise, maybe someone will do a rescue mission.
It’s just as illegal to search for a cache, as it is to place a cache. If your removing a container or rescuing a bug, keep your mission secret if you run into anyone.
I’ll also be looking for any caches on other FWS refuges in WI. I was really hoping that people would have pulled their own caches by now, but they haven’t. For everyone’s protection, it’s best to remove and archive these caches soon. People could be cited for looking for a cache if it’s in a refuge.
There’s just another reason for us coming up with a list of “Cache Rescue” teams…
In the instance where the WGA would wish to take matters into their own hands for removing caches which are in violation.. I think it would be a good idea to be able to “dispatch” a few groups in order to get the work done.. Keeping track of what’s been done, in order to show that the majority are in fact, playing by the rules…
I can’t say we’d be ready to go at a moments notice 24/7 but a rotating sched. possibly??
Our $.02
Team Flushingrouse
Well, I just ate a little crow and UN-archived all these caches in the Horicon Marsh. Thanks to one cache owners, I now have a detailed map of the marsh. Turns out that all the caches I archived were in the south half of the marsh, which is in the STATE owned part of the marsh. As far as I can tell, they are outside the control of the FWS rules against caching. I’m not aware of any State rules against caching in this area. Bugs should be OK now….whew
I agree with Snoshue! Amy and I would be more than happy to go rip out some old or illegal caches (at the behest of the WGA) in NE Wisconsin should the need arise.
When I look at a map of Wisconsin’s caches I am amazed at the number of caches out there. Part of me understands where these various agencies have concerns that there are 100’s of dirty tupperware containers scattered over their state lands.
I love this hobby. I really think we, as a group, need to start consolidating our cache numbers and urging our peers to remove old caches that are flooded, empty, neglected, etc… At the same time encourage more and more new, clever caches so that we all get to see more of this beautiful state!
Thoughts?
Jeff
quote:
Originally posted by GrouseTales:
Well it’s been a month since this message was posted and no one has removed any of the caches located on some of the Federal Refuges.The problem here is that there are only about 30(?) members active on the WGA message boards and several hundred hides placed by people who are not active or have no association to the WGA. Very tough on all approvers to have to try to enforce such a situation. Is there any chance that someone has a contact within Groundspeak that could release a e-mail listing of ALL WI cachers to Grousetails?
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.