This is one of seven caches located on Fort Ord Public Lands,
which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The
purpose of these Listings is to demonstrate each of the seven
principles of Leave No Trace. The way this will be done is
with the use of a Wherigo Cartridge that will take you through
various games that are utilized in Leave No Trace Classes.
Be Careful with
Fire
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“Wilderness
management is 80-90 percent education and information and 10
percent regulation.”
~Max Peterson, former Chief of the U.S.
Forest Service, 1985.
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Conceived in the 1960's by the U.S.D.A
Forest Service , the idea of Leave No Trace was quickly adopted by
National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, as well as
many other State and Local Agencies tasked with managing Public
Lands. As Mr. Peterson quite accurately put it above, the
Seven Principles of Leave No Trace has become something akin to the
"10
Essentials" of outdoor recreation.
This is number five in the
series.
- Use a camp stove for cooking. Stoves are easier to cook on and
create less impact than a fire.
- If you want to have a campfire, be sure it’s permitted
and safe to build a fire in the area you’re visiting. Use
only existing fire rings to protect the ground from heat. Keep your
fire small.
- Remember, a campfire isn’t a garbage can. Pack out all
trash and food.
- Before gathering any firewood, check local regulations.
- Burn all wood to ash and be sure the fire is completely out and
cold before you leave.
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Of course, fires are not allowed in any portion of the Fort Ord
Public Lands. Nonetheless, the BLM takes fire and fire safety
very seriously. Fuel breaks, like the one below the cache
page coordinates that separate the Public Lands from Hwy 68, as
well controlled burns, are utilized to keep the maritime chaparral
habitat in the area healthy.
References:
Fort Ord Public Lands - Wildfire Protection
Fort Ord Fuels
Crew - CND 3169
Leave No
Trace Frontcountry Program
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.
*This Leave No Trace information has been
reprinted with permission of the
Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. For more
information: www.LNT.org