This topic contains 6 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by 
Team Black-Cat 15 years, 9 months ago.
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What priority would you as a canidate give to establishing a dialog with the Wis. Dept. of Transportation to allow placement of caches in waysides? What approach would you take to get this done?
Thanks for the question Larry.
I am not real familiar with the efforts that have already taken place between the WGA and the WI DOT but those efforts should be continued and expanded if necessary.
Wayside caches are great. We should do everything we can to keep these available for travelers and geocachers across our great state.
As a board member I would be willing to put in some of my time calling and writing to assist with this effort.
From miscellaneous conversations I have heard some of the DOT’s concern regarding Geocaching and I can understand some of it to a point. I think that dialogue needs to be reopened and some common sense discussion needs to happen to bring all the issues out on the table. I am certain that safety is one of the issues to address here and perhaps there are some guidelines that would need to be made to insure that all involved would remain as safe as possible. considering there are usually two places at a wayside that the traffic is at its peak speed, (entering and exiting) cachers hiding and seeking these caches should abide by some guidance when it involves crossing traffic areas. No cache is worth getting injured, or worse.
I do hope that the BOD will work toward some positive end within this topic.
Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.
I too would like to see wayside caches allowed again. The DOT has some very valid reason on why they don’t want them there, but I feel with more education, this issue could be reopened.
I would like to see this reopened, but I don’t have a lot of hope that they are willing to talk to us, given what I have been told. It sounds like they won’t even return phone calls.
Perhaps the best approach is for us all to be involved politically with the governor’s race, so that when the new governor is elected, he will count some of us as his friends (no matter who wins). My experience with bureaucrats is that when they are uncooperative, you have to work through their superiors, and the more powerful, the better. Working through your state senators and representatives won’t hurt either.
I agree with Deejay, if they refuse to talk to us, step on some toes and go for the higher ups. State Senators to start, and senators, we could come up with a boiler plate letter, that members could just add their personal info, and send off to the appropriate addresses. Mass Mail to senators can open up some eyes.
Wow. The discussion on this topic has been going on for quite a while. I found a number of threads on the topic going back a few years.
I disagree with the other candidates who think that the DOT has valid reasons for disallowing geocaches in rest areas and waysides. The DOT’s reason for disallowing geocaching is liability. DeeJay mentioned The Wisconsin Recreational Use Statute (Link) to me a couple of weeks ago. It clearly states that the DOT would not be liable for any injuries that happen while “engaging in a recreational activity” on their land.
Contacting the DOT directly doesn’t seem to be the best way to go judging by past experience. But, I would strongly support any campaign started by the BOD or any WGA member that might get their policy changed.
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