MnGCA

Bus&Betty · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:33 am Post subject:

We are meeting our representative from Interstate Park on Monday, the 7th. Will have more to report after the meeting.

merkman · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 2032

merkman · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 2032

bflentje · Geocacher Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 3649

I've already conceded that I probably won't be needed much by my two parks. So the way I think this should be approached...

Take initiative and work to get additional caches in your park. How many cachers are going to go to a remote SP to grab a single cache unless you're camping? Number will be very small. My goal is to get a minimum of at least two additional caches in the park.

If we can't help with the SP Challenge, at least we can work to make it worthwhile for the fuel burn.

jambro · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject:

Just curious, if the DNR is going to own all the caches, who is physically going to be responsible for maintaining the listings online? Each park manager? Are they going to hire some people after we show them how it's done? I count over 70 caches that someone will have to maintain listings on. Knowing how government employees work (used to be one, no offense intended here), I can't imagine anyone will just volunteer to keep these updated.
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bflentje · Geocacher Joined: 29 May 2006 Posts: 3649

beagleboo · Geocacher Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 113

Had a great meeting with my state park ranger today. Glad to assist him in getting coords for the cache location, and filling out the paperwork. Assured him to notify me if I can be of more assistance or any help in the future. There is a great deal of history in our state parks. I hope cachers new and old will participate in the history challenge.

EskoClimber · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject:

I've been talking to the state about the changes that have cropped up and our concerns. Here is where things are at as of today.

The state will have ownership of the cache. They want to be able to edit the cache page in case of flash floods or whatever.
THAT MEANS that the geocacher will NOT be submitting the cache page. The state, probably out of the St Paul office will be submitting the pages to gc.com. In fact, I would contact the park and see if they even need our help at all. I am not happy about this developement but they have planted their feet and will not budge on this point.
The good news is that at least the geocacher will get credit for the find. Yeah, I know I'm reaching for something. We won't say what.

The April 7 deadline has me more than a bit irratated. First they told us NOT to contact the local parks because they were too busy to talk to us and now they want us there in a week. I was on the phone yesterday with the liason at the state and what came out of that is that we should do the best we can. If that means we miss the deadline than so be it. Don't kill yourself getting out there.
The thing there is that the state wants to have enough time to review the caches for sensitive areas.

The parks don't have all the materials yet. They have the ammo cans but not the log books or "baseball cards". I any case it would require a return trip to place the cache after it gets approved by the state and gc.com.

Any cache placed in a state park is going to be a two trip unless you can talk to your park manager and mark the spot so they can place the can after it gets approved.

I want to note that I am not happy with the way things changed at the last minute. I am still positive about the program as it will get caches into the parks with their blessing and knowledge. I am also going to talk to them about letting us adopt the caches after a year. I have always thought that the parks would have the best idea of where to place a cache. With the history "baseball cards" included it is a win win goal.

I also want to say that many of the parks are enthusiastic about the program and are very willing to work with us. I talked to Jay Cooke SP for example and it looks like we'll get the chance to do a geocaching 101 there on June 14. Many of the parks are getting a dozen GPSr's or more which gives us the opportunity to use them for a program similar to what merkman set up last year.

I'm going to MOGA and when I return on Tuesday, April 8, I will have more information.

merkman · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 2032

Thanks for the follow up and the communications Esko!!

Go kick some MOGA butt!!

speedysk1 · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject:

Thanks Esko. It's unfortunate the rules changed at the last minute, but should we expect anything different from the government? Laughing

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AerosmithPA · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all of your work on this project Esko. Your frustrations are understood and you are supported by MnGCA members. Someday this project will be a real boon for the state parks and our little hobby.

Red_Devil35 · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:44 am Post subject:

jambro · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:28 am Post subject:

Esko, you've done some great work getting this project moving. Kudos! It is very frustrating that the geniuses in our state government are changing the rules as they go - hope they have a plan for keeping these caches up to date. We're heading to Lake Maria SP today, staying the night (in a cabin, still too cold for me to be camping outdoors, I'm a wuss as I get older) and scouting for cache locations. I'm meeting with the ranger tomorrow, so I'm assuming now that he knows how to deal with the paperwork we generate. Whatever trips their trigger!
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I feel the need! The need for speed!

ArcherDragoon · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:58 pm Post subject:

My contact out of Whitewater gave me all of the details the state sent him...

As far as it goes...it is a good idea...but I don't think the MNDNR had an idea of what this would involve. Great work by Esko to work with this...the problems and concerns most all of us have come to have to do with the upper-level people in the MNDNR...I am just glad I already had a good working agrrement with the State Park Staff in my area...they basically said..."Go to it!!!"

Even though the park is still offically closed due to the flood in August and the repairs...they gave me free run of the park and said come up with something you feel will work given our "construction status..."
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DLGPS · Geocacher Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 27

We just ran across this thread this past weekend and were excited to learn about the geocaching challenge in the Minnesota State Parks. We have long been big fans and supporters of the parks. We have visited/camped in all the parks and hiked all the hiking trails. Can't wait to go back and geocache in all of them now! We currently have three geocaches in Nerstrand Big Woods and enjoy hearing from the geocachers that have found them.

Looks like all the parks in the southeast area of the state are covered but if anyone needs any help we would be glad to lend a hand.

Today's mail brought the 2008 Minnesota State Park Brochure and the back cover highlights the geocaching challenge.