That's in Hampton, VA.
Just a bit from the discussion. I don't know if you can access the board without specifically belonging to it. I seem to remember approval for it back there. Mr. Mertz seems to be the main contact at Sandy Bottom Park in Hampton, and Mr. Long is the equal at Newport News City Park...which people have contacted and were told Newport News has no plan to do things as Hampton is. NN appreciates cachers being in areas they can't always patrol, reporting strange things going on (which was something recently spotted!!)
A couple posts from cachers...
I did a little research and discovered a few tidbits of information.
Jan 1-6, 2006 North Carolina Park Ranger Institute Annual Meeting.
http://www.rangeracademy.com/curriculum.html
Authur Mertz (Hampton)- co-chair
Doug Long (Newport News)- Co-chair
Jan 2, 2006 Class: GPS/GEOcaching in our Parks. (Policies/Procedures)
(Hands on). Instructor Kim Hicks
rangerkim@aol.com
Jan 4, 2006 SandyRanger joins GC.com
From then till now I guess they bought a GPS and and learned to use
it. My question is when they sieze a cache, can SandyRanger count it
as a find?
I hope this info is useful.
--- In
Geocaching-HamptonRoadsVA@yahoogroups.com, "Mathew Roberson"
<roberson@...> wrote:
>
> Mr. Mertz called me early this morning. I had a pleasant 23-minute
> talk with him. Below are some points we discussed, in somewhat
> random order:
>
> - They've been receiving lots emails in the past couple of days
from
> geocachers who think the Rangers are against geocaching. He said
the
> Park Rangers are NOT against geocaching. I pointed out that the
> practical effect is as if they are. The 2-cache-per-park limit,
> regardless of park size seems arbitrary. The annual fee seems
> unnecessary, but could be somewhat understandable if they're
trying
> to offset "costs of managing geocaching" (whatever that means).
>
> (As an aside, I certainly hope geocachers are being absolutely
> courteous and respectful in ALL communications with Rangers and
> others in authority. This is simply a local policy, not a law, so
we
> can still influence change. Let's not screw it up by antagonizing
> anyone, please!)
>
> - The Park Rangers attend a conference regularly in NC to discuss
> geocaching. At a recent meeting stories were shared about illegal
> items placed in caches (none in VA) such as drug-related items,
porn
> and weapons. They also heard a story about a geocacher found by
> police placing a box and holding his GPSr, which they feared were
a
> bomb and remote detonator (again, not in VA).
>
> - In our area, there are caches illegally placed on or beyond the
> dunes at Grandview Nature Preserve. He said that people have
entered
> parks after hours seeking geocaches. I responded by saying: 1)
> Remove the illegal caches. 2) Prosecute those trespassing. 3)
Share
> all restrictions and rules with our volunteer Reviewer, who will
> share those with the geocaching community and attempt to apply
them
> to new cache applications and to existing caches.
>
> - The Park Rangers took their "findings" to the Hampton Parks and
> Recreation Advisory Board. The Rangers and the Board want to
> be "proactive" in heading off problems like those incidents in
other
> states. The Rangers did NOT recommend a fee; the Board added that,
> to offset the administrative costs of managing the caches. I
pointed
> out that the administrative costs should be minimal, since the
cache
> owner prints the form on his own paper and fills it out. What else
> is involved?
>
> - The Rangers believe that the signed permission form will give
them
> more "teeth" and authority to take action when problems arise. I
> pointed out that a permission form signed by the cache owner
> couldn't be used to hold the cache owner responsible for what
> another person illegally placed in his cache.
>
> - Regarding the limit of 2 caches per park. I said that this
seemed
> completely arbitrary, and should have some other basis, such as
> acreage. Grandview is enormous, and Sandy Bottom is 456 acres. I
> said that for example, Sandy Bottom could have additional
> restrictions such as "no more than 25 feet from a trail" (to avoid
> encounters with rattlesnakes). Combined with the Saturation Rule
> (0.1 mile rule) this would automatically limit the number of
caches.
> But if they're charging $15 annually per cache, why a limit of two
> if the fee supposedly covers the admin costs?
>
> - I offered that geocachers would be happy to meet with him or the
> Board.
>
> - I stated that the bottom line concerns for me were: 1) The 2-
cache-
> per-park-regardless-of-size limit, and 2) the annual fee.
>
> - Mr. Mertz said he'll consider what I said and continue to work
> this.
>
> Again, fellow cachers, PLEASE be courteous and respectful in all
> communications. The door is still open to change the policy!
>
> Matt Roberson
>
>
> --- In
Geocaching-HamptonRoadsVA@yahoogroups.com, "Mathew
Roberson"
> <roberson@> wrote:
> >
> > Below is an email I just sent to the Park Services and Program
> Coordinator at Sandy Bottom
> > Nature Park, Mr. Art Mertz.
> >
> > I spent over an hour one-on-one with him 12 months ago in his
> office. A record of that
> > meeting is in my log here:
> >
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?
> > LUID=d99c3dcd-5514-499e-94b9-01c18fba475e
> >
> > At the end is the email I received this morning from SandyRanger.
> >
> > Matt Roberson
> > Team Robrson
> >
> > ===============
> > [Sent 10:52 PM, 1 Mar 06]
> > Mr. Mertz,
> >
> > With no prior warning or contact, I received the email below
from
> Sandy Bottom Nature
> > Park saying my cache "Sandy, Where's the Key?" has been picked
up
> by park rangers under
> > the new policy requiring a permit and a $15 annual fee to place
a
> cache.
> >
> > The email also states that I did not have permission to place
the
> cache. However, I met
> > with you in your office at Sandy Bottom Nature Park on 18 Feb 05
> and received specific
> > permission to place the cache at that location, as I state in
the
> cache description. (In fact,
> > we talked about the location of every cache in the park.)
> >
> > I will come to the Nature Center and retrieve my cache as soon
as
> possible.
> >
> > I have a lot to say about this unfortunate and, in my opinion,
> short-sighted decision by
> > Hampton Parks and Recreation. However, I'll only say a few at
this
> time:
> >
> > It's a shame that the local geocaching community wasn't
consulted
> before the decision was
> > made. In very large part geocachers are lovers of the outdoors
who
> care for the
> > environment. Geocaching gave me a way to get out and enjoy local
> parks with my family,
> > and combine several enjoyable activities at once. I like the
high
> tech aspect and the
> > challenge. The kids like hunting and finding treasure. All of us
> enjoy nature and time away
> > from the TV.
> >
> > I believe this decision will result in fewer visitors to Hampton
> parks, which I presume is
> > contrary to the goals of the park service. The primary reason my
> family and I have visited,
> > or even discovered, the vast majority of parks is due to
> geocaching. In most cases, the
> > only reason geocachers from Southside even come to Hampton city
> parks is because of the
> > caches in the parks. They spend time and money at parks and
nearby
> businesses they
> > wouldn't have considered visiting apart from geocaching. Why
drive
> 45-60 minutes to the
> > Peninsula otherwise? It's a fact that I would have visited very
> few, if any, parks on the
> > Southside except for geocaching.
> >
> > I, personally, have introduced a number of families to
geocaching,
> who were also looking
> > for the same things my family was. They have now discovered
parks
> they never knew
> > about.
> >
> > Geocachers, as a matter of policy, encourage CITO (Cache In,
Trash
> Out). In addition to
> > picking up trash whenever we see it, we have organized CITO
events
> around Hampton
> > Roads on several occasions to clean up specific parks and
schools.
> In fact, when I met with
> > you last Feb, I offered to organize a CITO event at Sandy Bottom
> (which you politely
> > declined because you didn't seem to have a trash problem).
> >
> > In Newport News Parks, the Rangers have told me that they like
the
> fact that geocachers
> > are all over the parks and can therefore report illegal or
> inappropriate activities or other
> > problems. In essence, geocachers are just good citizens
augmenting
> the Rangers in a
> > small way.
> >
> > I would be interested to know the reasons for the new policy.
The
> 2-caches-per-park rule
> > seems rather arbitrary. Why two per park regardless of park
size?
> (Geocaching.com already
> > has a Saturation Rule, not allowing caches closer than 0.1
miles.)
> Why the $15 fee? To pay
> > for what? Why not just require approval of all geocaches in
> advance? That would insure
> > they meet any placement restrictions for each park. Also,
> Geocaching.com has volunteer
> > Reviewers who help insure that any known restrictions are
followed
> before allowing a new
> > cache to be published. Hampton Parks could pass any restrictions
> to the Reviewer.
> >
> > I could ramble on but I'll stop here since it's late.
> >
> > I am more than happy to discuss this further, if desired, at
your
> convenience. My contact
> > information is below. Other members of the local geocaching
> community would also be
> > happy to meet with park officials.
> >
> > Very Respectfully,
> >
> > Mathew Roberson
> > Subject: [GEO] SandyRanger contacting Team Roberson from
> Geocaching.com
> >
> > On 3/1/06 7:26 AM, "noreply@" <noreply@> wrote:
> >
> > > --This message was sent through
http://www.geocaching.com --
> > >
> > > Good afternoon. With the increase of caches located in the
City
> of Hampton we
> > > are concerned about the nature resources. Please go to the
> following web
> > > site:
http://www.hampton.gov/sandybottom/ and read our
policies
> and fill out a
> > > permit and return it to Sandy Bottom Nature Park. The city is
> only allowing 2
> > > geo-caches and 2 letter boxes in each area maintained by Parks
&
> Recreation
> > > (city parks, golf courses, etc) therefore it is a first come
> first serve.
> > > Please note that the permit will go into effect on March 1,
> 2006. On March 10
> > > all un-permitted boxes will be confiscated and will be held at
> the front desk
> > > in the Nature Center at Sandy Bottom Nature Park. Please note
> the cache Sandy
> > > Where's the Key was picked up and is located at the front
desk.
> The location
> > > of this cache was tearing up natural resources and the Park
> Manager did not
> > > give permission for this cache just Emily's Last cache. Please
> see web site
> > > for Nature Center hours. If you have any questions please
> contact
> > > Park Ranger Taylor or Park Ranger Currier.
> > >
> > > Sandy Bottom Nature Park
> > > 1255 Big Bethel Road
> > > Hampton, VA 23666
> > > sbottom@
> > > 757-825-4657
Caching at WDW? 
Are there any left there?
It turned out to be a good day.
and you can get out for a while. And have fun with Erin!!! 
Have a great week.
It's cold enough here for me. Cold and windy today. We did a two-stage multi today that turned out to be a lot of fun. Then a simple hide was no where to be found. Seems someone else today wasn't able to find it either. Hmmmm. 
And it's through the Parks & Rec and includes ALL parks and the preserve along the beach. UGH! I have a cache there! You can bet I archived that one this afternoon!! Now to get the cache! We're not happy campers. 
