Do you feel ALL state parks should be closed to the public use during this pandemic?
Simple yes/no poll to find out how WGA members feel about closing of the state parks.
- Yes
- No
This topic contains 20 replies, has 15 voices, and was last updated by 
Noonan 5 years, 4 months ago.
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Some of the state parks and natural areas have recently been closed, because of too many visitors not following social distancing guidelines and some vandalism. After seeing some recent social media posts regarding this subject, I thought a poll on this site might be fitting (even if the response is limited to a few).
I was surprised find a reply by the president of this organization stating that he felt all state parks should have been closed from day one. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but is this really the stance that our state’s representing organization wants to take during these times?
Thank you for taking part in the poll and leaving any comments that you feel might be helpful in regards to the matter at hand.
Didn’t vote in the poll, undecided. I do think it will be an increasing problem to have state parks unattended by staff as the trash piles up and the restroom facilities out of TP and maintenance, so it might be best for some to close. But for those parks, preserves, and forests where maintenance isn’t much of an issue, I wish they’d stay open.
Similar to hack1of2’s post above, I have mixed feelings. If everyone could follow common sense expectations that existed prior to the pandemic (those regarding littering, vandalism, misuse of facilities, etc), I would say keep them open. But since a few bad apples spoil it for everyone, I can see the reasoning for closures. It would be nice to keep the remaining parks open, but I fear it is only a matter of time before they are also closed.
Also did not vote. This a complicated and multifaceted issue…plus I’d hate to get drilled for having an opinion.
Also did not vote. This a complicated and multifaceted issue…plus I’d hate to get drilled for having an opinion.
Please do not think that my post is drilling you in any way, because I have selected to quote it here. I just think that this forum is a better place to air our thoughts on a sticky subject rather than debate it on social media. I would appreciate if all would voice (and vote) their opinions one way or another here. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with me, the next person or neither of us. These forums are a platform where the WGA BOD and others can receive the thoughts from others and hopefully bring them to good use for the betterment of all.
The president’s stance on the state park issue is: They should have been closed from day one (with no explanation). My question is; Why, when all of the parks were allowed to be open from the beginning of the stay at home order?
Outdoor activities were and still are encouraged by the Governor and others. People need to get out if they can. City trails and sidewalks are being overwhelmed by numbers of people out getting a bit of exercise, so more are going out a little further to enjoy the state parks and natural areas.
Unfortunately, that also brings along with it the riff raff associated with those that cause trouble and simply just don’t know how to pick up after themselves. Is there a way that our organization could work through this situation with the DNR as has been done in the past? Or do we just decide that no opinion, and no action is where we should stand?
I do really like the discussions that come about on social media, but there are also times when discussions there make me shake my head. If I was someone new to geocaching (there are many new to the game this past month) I would be a little taken back by some of the conversations yesterday on the Geocaching in Wisconsin Facebook page. We should be welcoming those new to the game, not making them feel like they are incompetent, have little common sense and are rule breakers who are in the state parks to leave a mess and cause destruction.
So, please leave your thoughts and have a Happy Easter! 😃🐇
This is an unprecedented time to say the least. My thoughts are that the open parks provide one small glimmer of joy in peoples lives.
Only under extreme circumstances should they be shut down.
It is spring and most of us are wanting to get out and stretch our legs as usually happens.I think people should voice their opinions. As long as conversation is respectful by one person, I would shame another that attacks someone.
The views expressed here are that of myself only and do not necessarily represent that of the WGA board.
This being a time like no other we have experienced, decisions have had to be made that many of us would never have imagined. Were all of those decisions the right ones? We won’t know that until the pandemic is over, maybe not for years, if ever. It’s easy to look back at decisions made in the past and criticize, but much more difficult to make those decisions not knowing what the future will bring. We are all entitled to our opinions, but second-guessing the decisions that have been made or not made in the past does little to affect the future. For these reasons I am also abstaining from this poll.
All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.
I think keeping some of these issues at our forefront is important for the future. Was it wrong to intern 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry after Pearl Harbor? At the time, maybe it made sense. At this point I can’t imagine anyone agreeing with that idea. If important things aren’t discussed, in public, then aren’t we destined for failure?
I agree we likely won’t know if any of this was necessary or not for a long time. But time has a way of causing amnesia, too.
The views expressed here are that of myself only and do not necessarily represent that of the WGA board.
I’d like to think those in the DNR and the advisors to the Governor were direct witnesses to the problems that resulted in the Governor’s decision. I’m apt to accept that having not seen it for myself. I’m an advocate of keeping a safe distance. My wife is in the high risk area. Trash can always be dealt with in the aftermath. I’ve been doing a lot of walking myself and haven’t encountered those kinds of issues. Of coarse, I don’t live in a very populated area. My sympathies to those that do. These are indeed difficult times.
Oconto...the birthplace of western civilization:)
As others have said, this is a difficult decision. Jim points out that we can’t really know if it’s the right one or not, but I will say….we have had logs from cachers who live on the opposite side of the state in the two state parks we trailboss (which were both still open at the time they visited). Yes, it’s okay for them to hike there….but should they be traveling all over the state to do this during these uncertain times? It surely isn’t just geocachers, either. I was out in my “local patch” (birding term for an area within a 5 mile radius of home) yesterday. Under normal circumstances on a nice day like yesterday, I’d maybe see one or two others, or more likely, no one. There were people all over…none with face masks available. I just went down onto deer trails, where I could see more birds anyway, and I do hope these folks who are just now discovering the outdoors will continue once it’s all over. My 10 year old grand-daughter points out that when people are cooped up, they just *have* to get out, and I think she’s onto something there.
Two weeks ago, a variation of this question was posed in the geocaching forums. This was my response at that time, on March 27.
“I have developed some pretty strong, and probably unpopular, opinions in the last week of this crisis. This same conversation is taking place among the birding community, and I suppose any of the various outdoor oriented activities enjoyed by people. So, remember…..you asked! [;)]
While I agree it’s good to get out, get fresh air and enjoy nature during this time, I don’t feel encouraging lots of people to do this by having entrance fees waived is helpful….at all. I know some of our National Parks have closed now to avoid this issue. Some parks in the Twin Cities as well. Yesterday the United States surpassed every other country, including those that were hit with this first, in number of reported cases. “Safer At Home” means just that. Stay close to home. I have friends currently living in France. Last week they received an order in their *small* village that they need to print out a new permit each day they go for a walk, which cannot be any further than 5kM from their address….and she and her husband must walk separately.
I will paste (I hope) the editorial from Matt Mendenhall, editor of Bird Watching magazine, regarding our shared playgrounds.
Rediscover old hobbies or new ones right now that can be done at home, or close to home. If we insist on going out to “play,” this is just going to take longer to resolve. That’s my soapbox.”
Enjoy the outdoors….close to home with your family only. Don’t worry about finding geocaches right now. I have told myself the same thing regarding the birds I see….see the ones in my yard and close to home and don’t worry about that once in a lifetime Surf Scoter way over at Horicon!
For anyone that has been reading/posting in the WGA Forums for the last 12 years, this is an interesting contrast to varying circumstances that affect our “hobby”.
Do you remember when gas was almost $4 a gallon, and cachers were exclaiming that they couldn’t justify going out unless they spent all day hunting caches?
Now, we are upset that we have restrictions put on our “fun”, the same as the gas price. We can’t control it. Others are ruining our recreation, be it oil companies or litterbugs.
NOW is the time for COs to do some cache maintenance or attempt some higher difficulty terrain hides where fewer people go.
Have some fun with what may be the “new normal”.
Cache maintenance is on my radar every spring. That said, I too have been getting logs on my caches from those outside of my community and one from Minnesota so far. “Safer at Home” means just this. Keep local within a short radius whereas you don’t need to stop for fuel, lunch, etc. I personally love State Parks and live within 15 minutes of one and live within DNR areas. The parking lots were packed with cars. How is this following the Social Distancing order? Essential outdoor activity/exercise is allowed, provided Social Distancing is adhered to. It doesn’t mean travel a far distance for this activity/exercise. The Safer at Home was more or less Stay Closer to Home. The Wisconsin Governor made some hard choices and it’s quite possible more yet to come.
IMO, Issuing a safer at home order and then offering free admission to the parks is contradictory. From what I have personally seen there is more families and younger people (16-25) at the parks then usual. I can also attest that the garbage cans are overflowing. The only way to learn is to make a decision and observe the outcome. Just like a chemistry experiment. Unfortunately, it probably didn’t turn out as expected.
Perhaps they should rescind the free admission and see what the numbers look like then.
Like others have said “it is a few bad apples that ruin the enjoyment for all”.
Ooo boy, lots of thoughts here. I also feel that this isn’t really a question that can be boiled down to a simple yes or no answer. But if those are my only options, then I would probably go with “Yes.” But the context behind that answer is important.
But since a few bad apples spoil it for everyone
Like others have said “it is a few bad apples that ruin the enjoyment for all”.
I’ve seen this comment in several places now, but I think it overlooks a point that I would argue is as important as the vandalism and trash, if not more so. Governor Evers’ Safer at Home order clearly included outdoor activities in the exceptions for which we are allowed to leave our homes and even travel, but it also stressed continuing to follow social distancing guidelines while enjoying those activities. While I did not visit a state park during this time period, I heard from multiple sources that crowds in some parks like Devil’s Lake were regularly larger than peak summer weekend days. Packed parking lots and crowded trails are the exact opposite of social distancing, so even people being completely respectful with the best of intentions are inadvertently contributing to the problem. If you are a government or health official who believes that social distancing is our best weapon against COVID-19, the sheer number of people visiting seems like the only reason you need to close these parks to the public.
IMO, Issuing a safer at home order and then offering free admission to the parks is contradictory.
I’ve been thinking myself that eliminating the fees may have been a mistake. I am not one that would normally think twice about paying those fees to visit, so I don’t have a great sense of how much additional traffic was actually brought to the parks by the fact that you could visit for free. At the very least, I think it probably did send the wrong message by advertising the idea to visit these places while lots of other people were bound to be there as well.
Once officials decided that keeping crowded parks open was a bad idea, I felt it was odd that they didn’t just close them all. While I trust that there was some level of evaluation by park managers that went into the decision of which parks to close, it seems it would have been for simpler to make a blanket adjustment, and then there would be no confusion over which parks remain open. If I was in the Governor’s shoes, I probably would have closed all state parks.
That said, I’ve felt from the beginning that geocaching fit right into the stated exceptions outlined in the Safer at Home order. I also feel that getting outside is important, so I was happy to see that my county immediately came out after the state park closures were announced and stated they plan to keep their parks open (at least for now). I generally have no concerns going out to find caches with my wife and daughters. Frankly, there’s no way I could keep my girls inside and not go insane (they are five and seven). But that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual when we go out. We are taking precautions. Going after caches that haven’t been found recently. Targeting just one or two for each outing, usually in the woods where we’re less likely to encounter other people. Using hand sanitizer liberally. Not driving more than 30 minutes. Not staying out longer than a few hours. And more. I totally support anyone who wants to stay home, but I do not believe those that choose to go out (to allowed locations) are doing anything wrong.
So…
I was surprised find a reply by the president of this organization stating that he felt all state parks should have been closed from day one. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but is this really the stance that our state’s representing organization wants to take during these times?
…there is a reason I have a disclaimer in my forum signature and most (all?) other board members do, too. The comments of one do not necessarily reflect an official stance of the board. I, at least, am evidence that we do not all agree with Aaron on this. And while the board has certainly discussed this and other topics related to the pandemic, we have so far declined to form any sort of official WGA stance. While the stakes have certainly changed, participating in geocaching has always been done at your own risk. I feel it should (continue to) be up to each individual to decide if they are comfortable geocaching given the current risk factors. I believe it is possible to continue caching safely without endangering other people, but I won’t think ill of anyone regardless of what they decide for themselves provided they’re not being reckless.
My comments are mine alone and may not necessarily reflect an official stance of the WGA Board of Directors.
While the stakes have certainly changed, participating in geocaching has always been done at your own risk. I feel it should (continue to) be up to each individual to decide if they are comfortable geocaching given the current risk factors. I believe it is possible to continue caching safely without endangering other people, but I won’t think ill of anyone regardless of what they decide for themselves provided they’re not being reckless.
I thank you all for providing your thoughts regarding the current state of affairs. Even though our individual views are not all the same, it is important to air our thoughts so we can all gain a better understanding of others opinions. I do believe the specific question asked can be answered by a simple yes/no. Even though your opinions on the matter may be extensive, you will see yourself sitting on one side of the fence or the other.
I quoted the response above because it really sums things up nicely. Geocaching has been and always will be about the amount of risk one wants to take in being able to sign that logsheet. There are caches that take you to the tip top of spindly trees, along crumbling rock faces with sheer drops, and into city sewers that have the same potential to kill as any confined space a person could crawl into. If you are some one who is a higher risk taker, you are most likely going to take some precautions during this time and hope to see as many areas open to caching as possible. If you wish to assume little to no risk, most likely you are either staying at home completely or if choosing to find a geocache you are doing so solitary, very well protected, and in far away places where no other has been for a long period.
Now, without singling anyone out, it is my opinion that the WGA should not be rallying to shut down all state parks and natural areas as long as the governor has not ordered them closed. Again, consider the risks that can be taken with geocaching in others way and has been allowed for 20 years. Cache on; please do it safely, responsibly and with the health of others held in the highest regard.
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