HomeMy WebLinkAbout2 Chair Canedy Response to Grayce Rogers1
Ziino, Genevey
Subject:FW: Open Space issues
From: Ann Canedy <acanedy@comcast.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 7, 2024 7:39 AM
To: Rogers, Grayce <Grayce.Rogers@town.barnstable.ma.us>
Cc: Lev Malakoff <capedcod@gmail.com>; Doug Payson <capecodhiker@gmail.com>; Kris Clark
<precinct11clark@gmail.com>; Farley Lewis <farlewis@comcast.net>; Ziino, Genevey
<Genevey.Ziino@town.barnstable.ma.us>; Anthony, David <David.Anthony@town.barnstable.ma.us>
Subject: Open Space issues
Dear Grayce:
Thank you for your email to Geena dated March 5 with your update on our trails. I appreciate your
efforts in this regard.
As to the subject of geocaching. I appreciate that the Town would like to formalize some kind of
policy regarding geocaching. While the Town staff is working on this, I would encourage you to
review Mashpee's website- (which is excellent by the way in its highlighting of their trail
system). They have embraced geocaching as have many other towns. Those towns are not
experiencing a problem with environmental vandalism apparently. In fact, I would argue, the more
people that utilize the trails, the less likely you would have ATMs and other destructive elements
freely using the trails.
trail_guide_-_noisy_hole.pdf (mashpeema.gov)
I also would highlight the towns of Chatham and Harwich - very good stewards of their open
space. Since the pandemic especially, emphasis in many towns and cities throughout the
Commonwealth has been on highlighting and greatly improving their trail systems. We on the Open
Space Committee would hope that Barnstable could replicate and perhaps even surpass these towns
and cities by greatly improving our land assets.
Perhaps it would also be helpful to include Cassie Medeiros (cmc291225@icloud.com) in your
conversations. She could perhaps ease some concerns about geocaching's relationship to the
environment and other issues. She appeared before the Open Space Committee January 8th and
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spoke eloquently about the benefits of geocaching in helping to encourage people of all ages to
spend time outdoors and to treat our environment with respect.
I am sure that Lev Malakhoff or Doug Payson (or both) would be glad to chime in on this subject as
well. I think it is important to have some users and advocates at the table when you discuss this.
Here is a local Facebook page about the subject: (13) Cape Cod Geocaching | Facebook
And lastly, I understood that a Santuit Management meeting was to be set up for this month. Please
give me an update on Santuit Pond Preserve activities and plans.
Ann Canedy
Box 23
Cummaquid, MA 02637