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Team Northwoods 10 years, 4 months ago.
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Hey WGA cachers (especially those in Dane County)! I have decided to make my first new topic on the forums about the fees required to place caches in Dane County parks. I know there was a post about this a while back, but it seems to have trailed out. Anyways, I was thinking about placing a cache near the Chapel at Indian Lake Park in Mazo. However, I now know of the fee of $25 that comes with placing a max of three caches in the county’s parks. What a shame! What really stinks is that the nice wooded trail that goes past our house roughly a mile away is also owned by the county, meaning I would have to fork over that money for a very local, easy to maintain cache (possibly a larger one!). I may send a letter to them about this, as my reasoning is that it attracts people into the parks that may not have come (therefore, cachers are doing a service to the county). I just want to get your input (and maybe some more points to send a good letter 😀 ).
I think you will find a difference in attitude between the Dane County folks and virtually every other parks department in the state. The others would agree with your assessment and be happy to attract more people to their parks (with a couple exceptions related to worries about damage). Dane County, on the other hand, seems like they couldn’t care less about visits, but are very interested in getting more money from users.
@ostermi wrote:
Hey WGA cachers (especially those in Dane County)! I have decided to make my first new topic on the forums about the fees required to place caches in Dane County parks. I know there was a post about this a while back, but it seems to have trailed out. Anyways, I was thinking about placing a cache near the Chapel at Indian Lake Park in Mazo. However, I now know of the fee of $25 that comes with placing a max of three caches in the county’s parks. What a shame! What really stinks is that the nice wooded trail that goes past our house roughly a mile away is also owned by the county, meaning I would have to fork over that money for a very local, easy to maintain cache (possibly a larger one!). I may send a letter to them about this, as my reasoning is that it attracts people into the parks that may not have come (therefore, cachers are doing a service to the county). I just want to get your input (and maybe some more points to send a good letter 😀 ).
I agree with both you and DeeJay…in fact, one of my goals after I retired is to take this issue to the county and see if it can’t be resolved. I haven’t been retired a month yet…so I’m still sort of on a Vacation schedule but it is high on my todo list.
I think as a board of director of the WGA, my negotiations may have a bit more bite AND I plan to do this all face to face. I hear what everyone is saying and I have the outline of a plan in my head…give me a week more off and I will begin the talks.
Thanks,
The Commander
If you would like to take over talks, you can. I could just send an e-mail to them in a seemingly unrelated case to try and get some more voices going on the topic. Considering it is seemingly minor, they may overturn it.
A few years ago I had two permits with 4 caches in Cam Rock park and the other 2 in other parks. I also have a metal detecting permit. When it came time to renew I tried to talk to them about waiving the fee. I pointed out to them what the dnr does. They wanted nothing to do with Free permits for caching where no holes are dug. Yet the metal detecting permit is free and we dig holes. Hmmmmm I dont understand that thought process.
I figure let Steve (the commander) do his thing. If he succeeds great and let the games begin. I just hope people place the caches carefully and with thought as there are many great things to point out in a lot of the parks. There should also be a rule of nothing smaller than a peanut butter jar. It’s no fun finding a stinking film can in the woods. We have enough of them.Your rule would be a good idea (at least from my perspective, I don’t see every single other cacher enjoying it). If you want micros, go to Madison or West Bend or something. Anyways, I will let the Commander talk with the parks system. As a relative newbie, I am sure he may have a better case. I may just send an e-mail to back him up.
I talked with the Dane County Parks Operation manager today. I discussed many of the things I will be discussing with the director on Monday…knowing full well that the first person the director will call will be the operation manager.
The Parks commission meets at 12:15 next Wednesday and one of the agenda items is changing the fee rates. Since the geocaching fee was NOT going to be changed for 2015, I’m hoping that I can get the fee dropped and work on policy directly with the Parks director after the ‘no fee’ policy is in effect.
We will see what happens…but I am optimistic.
The Commander
@commanderusn wrote:
I talked with the Dane County Parks Operation manager today. I discussed many of the things I will be discussing with the director on Monday…knowing full well that the first person the director will call will be the operation manager.
The Parks commission meets at 12:15 next Wednesday and one of the agenda items is changing the fee rates. Since the geocaching fee was NOT going to be changed for 2015, I’m hoping that I can get the fee dropped and work on policy directly with the Parks director after the ‘no fee’ policy is in effect.
We will see what happens…but I am optimistic.
The Commander
And YES…I do plan to attend the 12:15 meeting on Wednesday
The Commander
Thanks for your work on this Commander. Hopefully it goes through… More new caches for all of us to enjoy! And I call hiding one near the chapel at Indian Lake 😀
Great e-mail. I definitely understood what benefits would come from both sides if this fee were to be dropped. Let’s cross our fingers…
I received the following response from the Dane County Parks director to the e-mail I posted above.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for stopping by today. It was a pleasure to hear about your program and how far it has developed over the years. I also appreciate the opportunity to receive feedback on the Dane County Geocaching Permit program. You are the first person that I can remember that has contacted me related to our Geocache Permit fee and the issues that it has created. I was very interesting to hear about Wisconsin Geocaching Association geocaching rules and the program policing that you provide. I think that this is a great opportunity for you to talk to the Commission related to the permit fee. Generally they provide for a 3-4 minutes for each person to give input at the Public Hearing on Proposed Park Fees. As I mentioned having something in writing is beneficial. Just to review the background points related to the county geocache permit was based on:
1) Appropriateness of the geocache
2) Allows individual to leave personal items on county park lands
3) Location of the geocache (sensitive area or facility)
4) Contact information for the sponsorYou are probably correct that the individual(s) that had the cache that created the first complaints probably did not belong to your organization. I am excited to hear that you and organization volunteers would be willing to help enforce rules for placing geocaches on Dane County Park lands. I also believe the Park Commission would be very encouraged with a partnership for the potential oversight of the program.
Thank you again, I look forward to working with you as we move forward in our discussions.
Darren Marsh
Parks DirectorDarren Marsh
Parks Division
Dane County Land and Water Resources Department
Rm. 234
5201 Fen Oak Drive
Madison WI 53718
(608) 224-3766
Fax (608) 224-3745Cool! That seems like a fairly positive, enthusiastic response.
Great job, Steve! Not only as a BOD, but as a concerned Dane County citizen, as well!
For those of you that can attend…following is information about the meeting tomorrow.
The Commander
The Dane County Park Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2015 Parks Permit Fees at their meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, 12:15 PM in Room 354, City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Madison, WI 53703. The public hearing will begin at 12:30 PM. If you are unable to make this meeting, the Park Commission will be accepting feedback until their October 1stmeeting. Feedback, and/or questions may be sent to [email protected], or mailed to the Park office at 5201 Fen Oak Drive, Room 208, Madison, WI 53718.
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