JILL SCOTT, A GEOCACHER FROM OGDEN, UTAH, STUDIES HER GPS UNIT TO FIND A HIDDEN CACHE. GEOCACHERS ARE ASKED TO FOLLOW GUIDELINES TO HELP THEM MINIMIZE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AS THEY HIDE AND SEEK.

Marrying high-tech gadgets with rugged outdoor travel, geocaching has become one of the hottest new forms of recreation. But some are warning that its popularity will take a toll on the nation�s public land if not done responsibly.

In geocaching, participants use global positioning systems (GPS) to direct them to hidden treasures or �caches.� Caches are usually low-priced trinkets and are most often placed in backcountry settings. There are at least 250,000 caches hidden throughout the world on any given day.

- Unwanted tire tracks, damaged vegetation and disrupted wildlife can be harsh consequences of irresponsible geocaching,� said Patti Klein, National Stewardship Coordinator for the Bureau of Land Management. �We encourage geocachers to check with their local land manager for regulations and practice minimum impact behavior at all times.�

“Tread Lightly!,” a nonprofit organization that educates people to recreate responsibly, recently released tips to help geocachers minimize their impact on the outdoors.

TIPS FOR RESPONSIBLE GEOCACHING
- Check with local land managers to determine regulations before placing or searching for a cache. The National Park Service, for example, has strict geocaching regulations.
- Keep vehicles on designated roads and trails.
- Use the �track back� feature on your GPS unit rather than flagging and marking trails.
- In addition to your GPS receiver, always carry extra batteries, a map, compass and know how to use them.
- Practice the �lift, look, replace� technique. If you lift a rock to look under it, replace it exactly as you found it.
- Following a trip, wash your gear to reduce the spread of invasive species.
- Traditional geocaching is not appropriate in areas designated as Wilderness.

CACHE PLACERS
- Avoid sensitive areas including cultural sites, wetlands, caves and steep slopes.
- Avoid burying a cache in the ground.
- It is the cache owner’s responsibility to maintain the cache and the surrounding area. If the cache area becomes impacted, confer with the landowner on how you will mitigate the impacts, and seek their advice as to whether to relocate the cache.
- Never place food items in a cache.

CACHE SEEKERS
- Use maps to find a route that will minimize impact.
- If you notice a path has started to wear in the vicinity of a cache, notify the cache owner via email.
- When allowed to hike off designated trails, spread out in open country. One exception is in deserts, where hikers should travel in single file and try to walk on hardened surfaces such as slickrock, gravel or in sand washes.
- After you�ve finished searching for a cache, the area should look as though you were never there or better than when you arrived.

“It is important for the worldwide geocaching community to tread lightly on the environment in order to maintain the natural beauty of our outdoor resources,� said Bryan Roth, Co-Founder and Vice President of geocaching.com, the web�s dominant geocaching site.

Geocaching.com also created a program called �Cache In, Trash Out� to help the sport make a positive impression on public land. Further information can be found on their website.

Additional tips for responsible geocaching are available on Tread Lightly!�s website at Tread Lightly or by calling 1-800-966-9900.

WHERE THE PAVEMENT ENDS: Do�s and Don�ts of Driving in the Outdoors

Truck, SUV, and ATV owners are hitting the backcountry roads by the millions. But without a code of ethics, the environment can be seriously damaged.

With the explosion of off-highway vehicle sales in the last few years, more and more Americans are wanting to take their SUVs and trucks out to scale more than just their office parking garage.

Four wheeling in the backcountry can be a great way to bond with nature and the family, but it can have a damaging effect on the environment if not done responsibly. The need for this type of education has become greater since the US Forest Service�s recent proposal to close all motorized recreation to trails clearly designated for motorized use.

The national nonprofit organization called Tread Lightly! provides some practical tips to minimize impact on the outdoors while driving off-highway.

STAY ON DESIGNATED ROADS AND TRAILS: Drive only on trails designated for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. Never make your own shortcuts, switchbacks or trails. To find OHV trails, contact your local land management agency�like the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or National Park Service.

RIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIL: Always ride in the middle of the trail to avoid widening it and destroying vegetation along the roadside.

CROSS STREAMS ONLY AT FORDING POINTS: If you must cross a stream, do so only at trail fording points (usually where the trail crosses the water). Cross slowly and at a 90-degree angle.

DON’T CROSS PRIVATE LAND WITHOUT PERMISSION: Always contact the landowner for permission to cross private land.

CROSS OBSTACLES AT AN ANGLE: You may come upon obstacles on a trail, such as fallen trees. Driving around them can destroy vegetation surrounding the trail, so sometimes it�s best to move the object or drive over it. Cross obstacles at an angle, one wheel at a time.

IF POSSIBLE, DON’T RIDE IN MUD: If you can, avoid mud or soft soil while remaining on the road or trail.

PLAN AND PREPARE BEFORE YOU GO: Obtain a map and contact your local land management agency to develop a route that is safe, legal and within the limitations of your vehicle.

DON’T LITTER ON THE TRAIL: Leave the area a little better than how you found it by picking up your trash and others�.

For more information on ways to minimize outdoor impacts, Tread Lightly! can be reached at www.treadlightly.org or by calling (800) 966-9900.