Question for the Candidates

[Team Flynnie]

If you were elected to the GAGB Committee how would you go about tackling local authorities/councils that refuse to allow geocaching on their land? What proactive steps do you think could be taken to bring around councils that perceive geocachings as something negative or detrimental to the enviroment?

[Fudgeman]

I think to highlight agreements with other local authorities/councils where an agreement that works well is already in place is a good start. Councils such as the Isle of Wight and land owners such as the National Trust not only support Geocaching but also have their own caching teams who place caches.

I also think that offering to meet them face to face to “show & tell” would also help but this would need to involve local cachers as it may not be possible for a committee member to be there. As with all land agreements, it needs to be driven by local cachers as they are in the best position to explain what’s involved and suggest ways to overcome problems whilst respecting the councils/land owner’s requirements.

[mollyjak]

I think a 'face to face' approach is better when you are able to actually show what is entailed and hopefully your enthusiasm will take you through to a positive result. This will not always be possible because of the varied locations of the GAGB Committee but a local cacher may then be the best person to take negotiations forward. Perhaps a few interested cachers working together.

Communication is what it is all about and needed.

[richlay]

I am kind of of the old fashioned belief that no means no. I wouldn't wish to make a situation worse and potentially irretrievable by continuing to push a point after a decision has been made and given.

I think once a respectable amount of time has passed that the communication channel could be reopened. At this point I would absolutely lay on thick:

i) The whole landowner agreement package, show who we are working with successfully and how.
ii) The CITO process and within that I would use every single photograph available from last year's events to show what we as a collective can achieve.
iii) I would ask if there is anything unique to an area we can do to have them sign up to us. That could be (as Puzbie eluded to in his Chairman manifesto) an agreement that every new cache is set up with refuse bags for CITOing as we play, or that a line of text is added onto the listing page suggesting we take a bag of rubbish home with us.
iv) I would make sure that they are under no illusion what a collective force we are becoming and how valuable we can be to an area. I think I read something JackieC posted about the first Scottish Mega being worth 300k to the local economy. In America power trails were shut down due to safety issues but then reinstated when the local businesses suffered. When we cache we spend money, when I go out caching with friends I generally end up in the pub for a drink and a meal.

As the other candidates have responded, I would prefer the dialogue to be face to face and by a local cacher where possible.

It's probably pertinent within this question to outline my opinion on the MOD situation. I do not believe we should go anywhere near challenging their position for 18 months at least but we should continue and regularly ask for their support in obtaining the necessary mapping to put their decision in place as soon as possible. I don't think there is any good to be made out of that situation at the moment.

[Poole_Man]

If you were elected to the GAGB Committee how would you go about tackling local authorities/councils that refuse to allow geocaching on their land? What proactive steps do you think could be taken to bring around councils that perceive geocachings as something negative or detrimental to the enviroment?

Something that I have seen work well in the work I do as a volunteer Director of a Community Interest Company is when the company invites local Councillors and council staff along to an information day.

For GAGBs purposes the information day could be typically split up into the following parts:

1. "House keeping" - any essential announcements (details of the location of fire exits, the fire alarm and first aid etc) are made.
2. Welcome to the information day given by the GAGB Chair
3. The purpose of the day
4. Who invented Geocaching and how did it start?
5. Why is Geocaching environmentally friendly? - CITO events etc
6. The GAGB code of conduct
7. How does Geocaching help the local authorities achieve their purpose? (It ticks boxes in leisure provision)
8. Setting up a Geocaching team within the Council to place Geocaches in-conjunction with local Geocaching groups
9. A practical session - how to make a Geocache - introduces an element of fun to the day
10. A Q and A session where additional information can be given to the Councillors and the council staff.
11. A chance to go out and Geocache - a practical chance to experience Geocaching in action

This is a quick think about a program for a day like this of course it could have other things added or things taken away.

If worked out to be run with a local council or other authority there may be a minimal cost to run the event or a sponsor could be found to support the event.

Paul

[JackieC]

I think that one of the best proactive steps that any cacher can do is to go and say hello to their local park ranger (or equivalent).

They are most likely to give you permission for caches on their patch, especially when you tell them that they will get numbers of people who have walked round their park/forest for geocaching and you also have some nice comments to show them from the cache logs.

Once there are a few council staff on side its much easier to get an invite to one of their meetings to explain geocaching and influence more of the decision makers.

My local council allow geocaching, but to keep them on side I help run a couple of events a year for the local parks, an introduction to geocaching, where we put out temporary cache boxes on an easy route for people to try.
Its also an event so there are cachers on hand to take the newbies round.

[abiherts]

I agree with what Mollyjak has written and also think that it is something that the person who takes on the GLAD database could assist with. Finding a local ranger/ council worker who is sympathetic to geocaching is always the best step.

[daddyanddude]

This is something that would and can be tied in with the GLAD, have some form or email able/ printable documentation introducing the GAB what we are about, what Geocaching is about , types of caches the guidelines ect.
this could then be sent or taken along to meeting.