Dear user ecoeng,

it has come to our attention that you have repeatedly been deleting a series of paths on OpenStreetMap, claiming they were “illegal”; recently you have resorted what some interpret as threatening language (“They are looking for YOU - restore these trails at your own risk…”).

We are OpenStreetMap’s Data Working Group, dealing with conflicts and disputes between users, and we’d like to help resolve this issue.

Are you in any way or function an official representative or involved with the conversation areas, or are you just a concerned citizen? If you are involved in an official function, could you let us know whom you represent?

The trails you have been deleting are partly inside the “Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area”. Could you fill us in on the legal situation of these - is any use of paths inside such a conservation area against the law?

OpenStreetMap tends to map paths that exist, even if their use is not allowed or restricted; we try to record these restrictions rather than deleting the path outright.

We’d like to work with you to get the map of the area right. However, you have to stop deleting what you don’t like, and you must not threaten our volunteers.

Please reach out to us at dwg@osmfoundation.org.

Best regards
OSMF Data Working Group
Frederik Ramm