[Woodlandnomad]

Commander Thanks again for working on this.  I know that you have spent a lot of time on this issue.  As someone with several micro size containers placed in several Dane County Parks I am a little concerned about the size restriction.  I understand the concern about the damage to the environment with extensive searching in an area for a needle in the haystack.  I think I have been responsible with my cache placements and they have gotten a lot of positive feedback.  My understanding is that this suggestion came from the caching community and not from the Parks Department (I take the concern as a very positive example of the caching community trying to self police itself and a very positive indictor of our responsibility).  However, I am wondering if there is another way we can address this concern.  This would be a much stricter policy than the DNR has.  I am not a big fan of nanos, but it seems to me that it is a big difference between a nano stuck on a sign in a parking lot and one placed in a sensitive natural area.  I am also a little surprised at defending another of my lest favorite caches–35mm film canisters in sign posts.  But I can imagine a nice multi built around such containers place in, on, or at the bottom sign posts leading one around a park.  I am all in favor of the goal of limiting damage to natural areas and would agree to error on the side of caution, but I am wondering if we can achieve this goal with out such a large brush.

[Woodlandnomad]

I should have mentioned that our case was greatly helped by the fact someone from the Madison Parks Department was in the audience. After Steve mentioned the history with Madison and geocaching, the board turned to him and asked for his impute. It was a very ringing endorsement of geocaching.

[Woodlandnomad]

I believe that the Commander represented us well. I left the hearing with a sense that the board was very willing to work with the WGA. It also sounds like they have had great success with working with groups like the WGA in the past. At the same time they were cautious about opening the staff up to complaints and increased demands on time investigating inappropriate caches. It sounds like the policy began when someone stashed pornography in one of the parks and posted the coordinates on the web. Steve told them that this was not a geocache, but at least one board member felt like this could be a real ongoing problem. The same board member expressed the thought that Dane County’s policy of permits and fees might be forward thinking and a model for the rest of the state. At this point in the meeting time was running out, or I would have pointed out that as I have filed permits multiple times that the policy does not appear very forward thinking to me. The form is not available online. I show up in person and ask for the form. The secretary has to remember where on the computer the form is located. Then she prints it out and stands waiting while I complete the form. I then pay my money and she puts the form in a file. At which point I am free to place my cache. Nothing is reviewed to this point, I don’t know if someone later reviews it or not. If they do, I see fee system complicating things. If they do review after the fact and determine the cache is not in an appropriate location they now have to tell the person that they have to pull the cache which they have paid to place. From my perspective, the existing system makes me pay, ties up staff time, and the only thing the county gets out of it is my contact information. Steve pointed out that there is already a review process through geocaching.com and the review process is able to accommodate the wishes of the county–all without cost to the county and tying up staff time.

If you care, they are still taking public comments for the next week. The Commander has the address in one of his earlier posts

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.

[Woodlandnomad]

Here is one more for you in Madison

GC5A6DK

The Little Free Library is the location of an interesting puzzle. The LFL itself is one of the nicer that I have seen.

[Woodlandnomad]

Here are a few more,

GC55PJY
GC52G4R
GC52E1N
GC3DK91 (cache page features a little free library, but cache is nearby)
GC4RNHF
GC41161
GC3C4FJ
GC4DAE2

I know a couple are already on your list.

[Woodlandnomad]

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