Fort Ord Public Lands
“Edu-Cache”
This is a cooperatively established geocache
for public benefit by Touchstone and the “Bureau of Land
Management”.
It is, however, located within 2 miles of the cache page
coordinates.
The Preamble:
In 1996, BLM was selected to administer what are now Fort Ord
Public Lands according to guidelines outlined in an agreement known
as the Habitat Management Plan. Under the agreement, the BLM will
acquire approximately 15,000 acres to become a Natural Resource
Management Area. This area includes 12 habitat types as well as
areas of concern such as riparian forest, perennial grasslands and
vernal pools. These lands are essential to the survival of
sensitive plants and animals that in some cases are found only on
Fort Ord. For the BLM to retain the land for public use, all BLM
actions must follow the Habitat Management Plan.
- Fort Ord Public Lands Statement
Declaration of Intent:
As stated above, the Final cache is not located very near the
cache page coordinates, however you WILL need to visit the
coordinates above in order to find the Final cache. More
about that a bit later. In the Spring or Summer of 2007, the
Bureau of Land Management expressed some concerns about Geocaches
on the Fort Ord Public Lands. Long story short, some talking
went on and some Regulations governing placements of Geocaches on
the lands that the BLM manages were handed down. The majority
of folks just picked up their toys and moved on. This Listing
is an attempt to work through the process of getting a BLM
approved/sponsored Geocache on the Public Lands. With that in
mind, when or if this placement gets approved by the BLM, I will
move the Final cache a bit closer to the cache page
coordinates. Until that time, the Final is quite a distance
away. For complete details on the final Regulations governing
Geocache placements on Fort Ord Public Lands, please go to the
following link:
"Treasure" Cache Policy .
Wherigo:
Wherigo ia a toolset for creating location-based games and
other real-world experiences using a combination of GPS-enabled
handheld devices and the Internet. The Wherigo family includes two
main applications, the Wherigo Builder and the Wherigo
Player.
For more information on Wherigo, please refer to the following
link: Wherigo
Website.
In order to find the Final Cache, you will need to download and
play the following Wherigo Cartridge :
Bruce In Black
The Cartridge will take you on a great loop hike on Trail 47 in
the Fort Ord Public Lands. Zone sizes are fairly large so
there should be no need to go off trail at any point during the
play time.
References: Fort Ord Public Lands BLM, and Return of the Natives
CSUMB
Dear Treasure Cacher:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) welcomes “treasure cachers”
to the Fort Ord Public Lands and we hope that enjoy your visit to
this ecologically unique and diverse area. At Fort Ord, the
BLM is carefully managing this activity to ensure that your visit
is safe and enjoyable, and that the sensitive natural, cultural,
and historic resources are protected for current and future
generations. The cache you are searching for has likely been
posted on one of the many “treasure cache” related websites such as
geocaching.com, letterboxing.org, atlasquest.com, etc. When
looking for this cache, we ask that you take note of our public use
restrictions on the land that include:
- Please use only trails that are signed open and shown on our
Fort Ord Public Lands Trail Maps. Cross-country travel, use of
unsigned trails and bushwhacking is not allowed.
- Please limit your cache searches to daylight hours. The
BLM lands are closed from ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before
sunrise.
- Enjoy your cache hunting on foot, hoof or bicycle wheel because
vehicle use (including motorcycles, ATV’s and four-wheel drives)
are not allowed on the BLM road and trail systems.
- When considering a treasure to leave, please remember that this
is a family-friendly sport and never leave anything pornographic,
offensive, or flammable. Please never leave food
items.
Caches that have been approved by the BLM will never be more
than 20 feet from one our designated trails or roads, so save the
effort looking far off trail. Also, be sure to avoid tampering
with anything that is not within a clear container because there is
still a chance that dangerous military artifacts may be in the
area. Always obey signs that indicate closed areas that
include habitat restoration sites and dangerous munitions
sites. And remember, the lands you visit are home to several
species of rare and endangered plants and animals, so please tread
lightly and respect the natural environment.
If you have any questions about your visit to this area, feel
free to contact the BLM at (831)394-8314 or
(831)630-5000.