You did us all a favor by going through with this! There's always going to
be one official who is leary in future, but letterboxers (being the
gentle-to-the-land type!) are the kind of folks that I for one would
welcome on National Forest lands.
Of course it's up to us all to live up to the high standards of land
stewards, as well as box stewards!
Thanks again,
toppear@nwi.net
----------
> From: The Sheehan Family
> To: letterbox-usa@eGroups.com
> Subject: [LbNA] Forest Service blessing at last!
> Date: Thursday, February 24, 2000 7:40 PM
>
> Folks,
>
> In June, 1999 I contacted officials of the Gallatin National Forest to
ask
> permission to put out some letterboxes on the land they control. Six
weeks
> later, tired of waiting, I went ahead and put out the five Hyalite Creek
> letterboxes that are listed under Montana on the LBNA Web page.
>
> I got a call just before Christmas asking me to come in and talk a little
> with the GNF officials about what I wanted to do. I did that, somewhat
> uncomfortably avoiding mentioning that I had jumped the gun and already
> placed the boxes. After that discussion I was told I would receive
> permission to put the boxes out. That permission arrived in the mail
today!
>
> As far as I know, the Hyalite Creek letterboxes are the first approved
> letterboxes on National Forest land. There's been some talk on this list
> about hesitating to ask permission for fear it would be formally denied,
> making it difficult for all of us to "get away with" placing unapproved
> boxes on federal lands. I'm happy to say that now there is at least a
tiny
> bit of precedent for permission being granted.
>
> I'm still not convinced it's a good idea to tempt fate by asking
permission,
> but at least this one time it was successful.
>
> Copied below is the text of the letter I received.
>
> -Mark
>
> =================================
> File Code: 2720
> Date: February 23, 2000
>
>
> Mark Sheehan
> 9553 Meadowlark Dr.
> Bozeman, MT 59715
>
> Dear Mr. Sheehan:
>
> This letter is a follow-up to your earlier meeting with Dave Cary of my
> staff, regarding the placement of "letterboxes" in specific locations in
the
> Hyalite Creek drainage. No permit will be required.
>
> You may place the boxes (3"x9"x12" ammo boxes) as listed in the
descriptions
> you submitted (copy enclosed). We will review the locations over the next
> few years to ensure that there are no excessive impacts by visitors who
> travel to the sites.
>
> Please coordinate with Dave Cary if you wish to place other boxes on the
> Bozeman Ranger District in the future.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> [signature]
> Jan Lerum
> District Ranger
>
>
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