Land Owner permission

[attroll]

It is time to bring it to the foreground and everyone’s attention once again. Land Owner permission is needed before placing caches. I know a lot of caches in Maine get placed without land owner permission. We need to start doing it correctly or it is going to hurt the Geocaching sport here in Maine

Here is some contact information for the Arboretum in Augusta. This place is a 224 acre area with some nice walking trails. Caches are permitted by permission only. If you have a cache there and have not gotten permission to place it there then it will be removed. If you have a cache there and have not gotten permission then you need to contact them and get permission before it gets removed. If you would like to place a cache in the Arboretum then you can contact them with this information below.

Stephen Oliveri
executive director
PineTreeState Arboretum
153 Hospital St.
Augusta, ME04330
207-621-0031
ptsaso(at)roadrunner.com

[TRF]

Rick, was there a complaint from the arboretum? I ask simply because of the specifics of your thread.

I agree with getting landowner permission, always have and always will.

[darterkitfox]

I asked permission from the town of Norway to place one in a new park and we ended up having to go to the selectmen's meeting and speak before them. They had no clue what caches were until we explained. Funny thing is, there are two other caches placed on town property. How was permission given for those others? Or was it?

[al'Thor]

I asked permission from the town of Norway to place one in a new park and we ended up having to go to the selectmen's meeting and speak before them. They had no clue what caches were until we explained. Funny thing is, there are two other caches placed on town property. How was permission given for those others? Or was it?

Wouldn't the park be considered "Public Land" and fair game, or am I wrong? That is the way I understood things.

[brdad]

Wouldn't the park be considered "Public Land" and fair game, or am I wrong? That is the way I understood things.

National parks are public land, but they don't allow caches as a rule. Some parks are considered multi-use, which should include caching, but unless some listing specifically mentions it, you can assume it may not be allowed.

I think it's odd people think it's ok to place one at Wal-Mart or fast food places without permission, and those are not public property.

[tat]

From the Geocaching.com Guidelines:

Off-limit (Physical) Caches "By submitting a cache listing, you assure us that you have adequate permission to hide your cache in the selected location. However, if we see a cache description that mentions ignoring "No Trespassing" signs (or any other obvious issues), your listing may be immediately archived. We also assume that your cache placement complies with all applicable laws. If an obvious legal issue is present, or is brought to our attention, your listing may be immediately archived."

[al'Thor]

National parks are public land, but they don't allow caches as a rule. Some parks are considered multi-use, which should include caching, but unless some listing specifically mentions it, you can assume it may not be allowed.

I think it's odd people think it's ok to place one at Wal-Mart or fast food places without permission, and those are not public property.

I knew about anything "national" was a big no - no and I also do not consider business parking lots to be public places (I know this from being a police officer.) It was my understanding that marked public town parks were ok as well as places like state Public boat landings / picnic areas and public revserved land would just be ok.

I would never feel comfortable leaving anything on someones private land let alone inviting others on to someones land. Getting the permission may be a pain in the rear but it will save someone a lot more pain later on.

[al'Thor]

I asked a question about this in a forum last year. I don't know how to post the link to it but it was titled Cache Placement on 10-23-07.

I have placed quite a few caches on public resevered land and on public boat landing / picnic areas. I guess I could pull them. Would be easier then trying to deal with getting permisson from the state? Any suggestions?????

[firefighterjake]

Wouldn't the park be considered "Public Land" and fair game, or am I wrong? That is the way I understood things.

That's the way I interpreted it as well . . . however folks should probably be clear as to who actually owns what . . . for example, there is a park in town where I live that is actually now owned by the College even though it is very public and in placing one of my caches near a spring I learned that while the town owns the spring the rest of the area around the spring is private property -- the actual town-owned land was rather small.

[tat]

I asked a question about this in a forum last year. I don't know how to post the link to it but it was titled Cache Placement on 10-23-07.

I have placed quite a few caches on public resevered land and on public boat landing / picnic areas. I guess I could pull them. Would be easier then trying to deal with getting permisson from the state? Any suggestions?????

As many of you know, I am also the volunteer reviewer for the state of Maine. The opinion below is my personal viewpoint and not necessarily that of Groundspeak.

Adequate permission is always required, but what is adequate permission? The guidelines are written for a worldwide activity. Adequate permission varies in different localities.

Generally, when a property has a clear contact posted, it is best to attempt to get permission. If the contact person responds favorably, (they may have additional requests which should always be met) you can place the cache. If the contact person denies the cache placement, do not even attempt to place the cache.

The contact person may not respond or there may not be a known contact person. The cache hider should obey all posted rules, such as "leave no trace", "trash in, trash out", "do not make new trails", "no hiking off trail", "stay on trail", etc.

Making Geocaching attractive to land owners helps. Be very careful when hiding a cache and treat the property better than any of the other visitors. If there is a sign "stay on trail: Do not allow your placement to create new trails, for example. Don't hesitate to shut down your cache if problems develop.

Don't forget to consider the reaction of non-cachers. No land owner wants the bomb squad called in because of suspicious activities!

If you make contact with a land manager, and develop a cache placing policy, let your local reviewer know!

So, to answer your question, I would not remove caches that are in place and have no complaints. But, it is worth the effort to attempt the formal permission process.