Permits (Site Permissions)

General

Documentation 

• Use this spreadsheet to keep track of all permit applications and their status. 

• Permits are stored here.

• Certificates of Insurance are stored here. Use the program identifier from the database to name the subfolder.

Obtaining permissions

- City of Cambridge Parks

• Instructions to apply for a permit

  • Email parkspermits@cambridgema.gov to check on the availability of the space you are requesting before you submit application & payment.

  • Application page: Email - admin@navigationgames.org, p/w - NavGames25

  • Complete application, once it is approved, pay online ($25 as of 7/1/25)

- DCR

• Apply for a special use permit at least 45 days in advance. It costs $45 to apply, and you need to have a certificate of liability insurance ($1M, naming Comm of MA, DCR as additional insured). Follow the procedure described here.

  • Picnic sites at Houghton's Pond: reserveamerica.

  • Regulations: MA law 12.04 (DCR regulations; includes requirement for permit if 25 or more people), MA law 12.17 (permits)

  • Note: Under regulations pertaining to land use, orienteering is not stated as a land use. So should aim to get it included in the future

  • Suggestion: To go off-trail, provide the map on the application with some controls off-trail. That way, you can be transparent that you showed checkpoint locations. The ranger for each site will then make the decision.

  • Blue Hills - Cannot go off-trail.

- City of Boston parks 

• Apply for a permit in advance. User: president@navigationgames.org Password: see LastPass. Instructions. Choose: Type - Special Event. Location - Franklin Park. Facility - Overlook. (Could alternatively choose Youth Athletics / FRP - cross country course). Then, click on the reservation and "Continue". Note this must be reserved at least 7 days in advance. 

Information from Barb's time permitting for NEOC

David (former NEOC permit person) provided all info and forms on CDs that he gave us.

DCR properties: Beaver Brook, Blue Hills, Boojum Rock, Boxford, Breakheart, Earls Trails, Hammond Pond, Harold Parker, Mt Tom, Townsend State Forest, Upton

Contact people - see section below!

Notes

• See procedure in section above

• Note deadlines: 45 days before event, and fall events have to be submitted by May 1st

• David made a Word doc so it is easy to fill out the form. We’ll need to change 2016 to 2017 on it.

• Location requested: this is where the set up will be - work this out with the meet director.

• See the example filled-out permit that he provided.

• For Breakheart we use a shelter in addition to a canopy. The meet director should tell you about what structures they want to use. Then call the ranger for that park, and ask how to do that. You go online look up the ranger’s number.

• Optionally, contact the ranger and let them know as a courtesy that you’re coming and to check in - only need to contact them for sure if you need something unusual like a structure.

• Read the instructions; deadlines are on there.

• Need to submit the 501(c)3 letter; it is on the disk. 

• You have to pay $45 for each application. Can get reimbursed by NEOC. Townsend is DCR, but they pay several $100 for a fee.

• Map-specific issues

  • Boxford in N Andover: need permission from police dept for parking, and need a parking plan. We line up the streets going to the site.

  • Breakheart: provide a course map; they want to make sure you have mapped the vernal ponds as out of bounds. 

  • Boojum Rock: 

    • provide a course map; they want to make sure you have mapped the vernal ponds as out of bounds.

    • meet director should figure out parking.

  • Great Brook: Tim Parson handles permissions for this map.

  • Townsend State Forest: additional fees

• When permit comes in, it gets distributed to one of 2-3 people. Joe Rotundo gets all the north properties including Breakheart, Harold Parker, Boxford, Boojum. Janice Parlon gets the ones to the W and S. Mt Holyoke (W mass): Mt Tom, Earls Trails. Not sure who does the Blue Hills; one year it was Janice and one year it was Ria. 

• You’ll need to tell Joanne to send in a certificate of insurance to the specific person who handles the permit. Has to be in 2 weeks prior to the event. Joanne handles it. Need to manage her to do that. Hammond is in Boston, so that is Mary McCarthy.

• How you know they got the permit: the canceled check shows up in your bank statement...

• Wait about 2 weeks before the event - ask if need anything else from us at that time. Signed copy (by you) goes to the meet director, and remind them that it goes with them on the day of the event.

• Won’t get the permit until right before the event. If ever don’t get it, then print out the email exchange showing that we got the permit.

Lincoln - Mt Misery

He went to the town hall and talked to people. They have a standard form; email the people whose contact he provided. There is a sample form on the disk. They have to approve it at one of their meetings; so don’t wait too long.

Waltham - Prospect Hill

Dept of Recreation on Moody St in Waltham. Call first and find out if the park is available on that date, and establish a relationship. They require cover letter on letterhead - he has a version of that on the disk. Fee. The website seems to suggest you need a picnic permit, but if you talk to them you don’t. There is not a written permit; just send an email. Send that to the meet director to prove have been going through the right channels. 

They want the certificate of insurance with the cover letter - Joanne should send it to you (permitter) and then send it in with the cover letter.

Hale Reservation

Shannon Obey is in charge of the permits. Send her an email or call, and she’ll Qsend all the info.

Baldwin Hill

Tim Parson will do this. It is Dept of Fisheries.

Other sites

Meet director gets the permit.

Needham TF, Arlington, non-MA maps.

Information about DCR

People

Some of these may be outdated!

• Scott Bockus (2025)

• Brian Arrigo - Commissioner. Former mayor of Revere; joined the Healey-Driscoll administration April 2023.

• Paul Jahnige - MA's first Outdoor Recreation Director (2023). 100 Cambridge St, 10th floor, boston MA 02114. Paul.l.jahnige@mass.gov MOOR MA office of outdoor recreation established in December 2022 to elevate and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities throughout MA with associated benefits to ou economy, health, environment, and quality of life. Focus on equity. Came from DCR where he was the Greenways and Trails Program Director. MA in Environmetnal Studies from Yale; founded Community Resources, an urban environmental nonprofit in the Mid-Atlantic. 

  • They don't have orienteering on their lits of things! add it!

  • Let's fill out this form

  • They have grants for accessible outdoor recreation events.

• 
  

• Joe Rotondo (joe.rotondo@state.ma.us; DCR 617-626-1250 - this is the phone number for the main office listed on the DCR website) - northern properties: Beaver Brook, Breakheart, Harold Parker, Boxford, Boojum. May be Special Events Manager, DCR.

• Mike Nelson, Regional Park Ranger, DCR North Region. Office 617-727-1199 x 410. Fax 617-727-6450

• Janice Parlon (janice.parlon@state.ma.us, 617-626-1486)- Special Events Manager, DCR. She is main person doing permitting, we believe, as of 2023. Previously: W and S. Mt Holyoke (W mass): Mt Tom, Earls Trails, Townsend State Forest. Maybe Blue Hills.

• Mike Bruce? 617-913-2895

• William Cooksey - recommended to Jon Campbell 2019 to discuss access to Boojum Rock. 

• Mary McCarthy (mary.mccarthy@state.ma.us): Hammond Pond, possibly Herter (CSU) DCR ranger.

• Universal Access Program DCR.UniversalAccess@mass.gov 413-461-7126 [2025] maybe we could work with them to augment our events for access

• Stewardship Council - board that oversees DCR. We can become a guest presenter at a meeting - the form is here.

DCR Main Office

10 Park Plaza

Suite 6620

Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Phone: 617-626-1250

Fax: 617-626-1351

mass.parks@mass.gov 

DCR Organizational Structure

• Engineering Division

• Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry

• Office of General Counsel

• Division of MassParks

• Bureau of Planning, Design & Resource Protection

• Division of Water Supply Protection

• Office of Water Resources

• Office of Watershed Management

Mission

Reference

To protect, promote and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural and recreational resources for the well-being of all.

In meeting today's responsibilities and planning for tomorrow, DCR's focus is on:

• Improving outdoor recreational opportunities and natural resource conservation

• Restoring and improving our facilities

• Expanding public involvement in carrying out DCR's mission, and

• Establishing first-rate management systems and practices.

The health and happiness of people across Massachusetts depend on the accessibility and quality of our green infrastructure - our natural resources, recreational facilities, and great historic landscapes.  The DCR continues to improve the vital connection between people and the environment.