Artifact hunting in National Park Service area!!

[Get-the-point]

As we all know it is illegal to hunt artifacts in National Park Service area's. This has not only threatened the preservation of history, but pissed off collectors from across the nation. Some of us have hunted these grounds before the aquisition of this land by the park service. Since most of the park service land the Gov't holds lies where a river would go through, these artifacts are being washed out every year in an alarming rate. Those artifacts in turn are washed into the river never to be seen again. I think this is a tragedy!! I would like to propose an idea to everyone and see if we can do something about this.

The park service was established for many reasons, but the main reason was to preserve our history and our land. Well, I think we can use this to our advantage. I think if we go along the lines of "preservation" we might be able to achieve freedom to hunt, and also bring more tourists to each area. This in turn will bring extra revenue for the Park Service.

If we all unified and proposed a act to allow artifact, metal detecting or any other type of hunting along the rivers and fields and place our finds with credit going to the finder in a museum that they build on that land, or a building set up to warehouse them for viewing by the public, this would not only bring extra revenue to the park service which could charge admission to the museum but also allow us to keep enjoying our hobby and see our names etched into history ourselves at that museum for the find!!

The rules would be pretty much set up like they have it in Arkansas for the Diamond field except no digging. Any artifact sitting in the side of the riverbank must be left alone and park service notified of a potential new settlement site. The site will be given the name of the finder and if the finder would like to participate in the archeaological dig he or she may participate. All artifacts from that find will go into the museum under the finders name. Any artifact found on the rivers edge or in a field serves no purpose as they cannot be carbon dated with the stratus of the soil they originally came from. Although laser testing has come to age for authentication purposes, I do not believe the park service does this type of testing. Plus put a clause in this write-up that if the museum be shut down or the park sold the artifacts would go to the finder or family. The park service could also charge admission to these parks to allow hunting. The fact that we cannot take the artifact home is a bummer but look at the potential of this!! The park service would reap more revenue from this. It would get them to consider. It is win, win and we would be free to enjoy the hobbies we love with all our names being etched into the history books as "Finders". This is my idea and if anyone would like to help in drafting this type of proposal and helping me submit this to the Dept. of the Interior, I would really appreciate it. I think we could win this one if we do this right and open their eyes to the loss that is happening every year from erosion, plus the loss of potential revenue that they could be making!!! Let me hear all idea's please. Thanks for reading and I hope we can all unify on this one to change the current laws in place................Thanks..................GTP

 

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[wells]

i agree with you, but you know big brother won't.

 

[joshuaream]

Not to be a nay-sayer, but I don't really agree that collectors should be able to collect artifacts in National Parks... There are other types of public land that should be open to surface collection, but National Parks (Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Tetons, etc.) should stay off limits in my opinion.

BLM land, forest service lands, resevoirs, rivers, state forests, etc. should all be open, because they are generally open to other commercial interests (logging, grazing, etc.)

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I agree with Joshua. National Parks should continue to be off limits to any artifact collecting, especially any digging of any kind.

But the other lands he mentioned should be open to the public. It just kills me that they can go in and completely destroy a site by building a road through it or putting in buildings or industry, but if they catch you picking yo an arrowhead you rearend is in the sling. Doesn't make sense. But then again what government sanctioned and controlled things do?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Too many hunters abuse the common sense rules of detecting and artifact hunting already..... Having visited almost all our National Parks already, several of the big ones several times (Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Tetons) I would not want to see them opened up to these people.....

National and state forests are different, but National Parks NO..................

 

[Get-the-point]

Too many hunters abuse the common sense rules of detecting and artifact hunting already..... Having visited almost all our National Parks already, several of the big ones several times (Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Tetons) I would not want to see them opened up to these people.....

National and state forests are different, but National Parks NO..................

Rules would have to be in place that would allow this. The ethical question here is, Is it right for our history to be washed out and possibly never found again?? I don't think so. The whole preservation of history is what keeps history alive. Letting artifacts of any kind, whether it be coins, bottles, war memoribilia, and anything else of history wash into the rivers to be forever gone is a tragedy, and that is happening at National Parks around the country due to the laws. I firmly believe that this could be possible. To much could go right for the Park Service by way of revenue from a museum where all finds will go. I think this has great potential.

 

[Relichunter1]

I agree , can you imagine archealogists faces if something like this would go through?

 

[Get-the-point]

I agree , can you imagine archealogists faces if something like this would go through?

Imagine there faces when they get to search new sites due to the discoveries that people make in areas washed out by the river or on land. Part of the rules is that the new discovery be given the name of the finder and placed in the museum. The finder is allowed to participate in the dig. Each discovery made by a person, the person must take coordinates for it. These are among some of the rules I was thinking of. No digging unless a metal detector permit to dig which can only be to a certain depth. The rules for the finds apply to this as well. The hole must be-refilled as was. These were the rules that I am thinking of to achieve this. As I said I would like to see some support on this. I think that we can possibly achieve this as long as it is done right....................GTP

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Florida had a law like this, you were allowed to keep what you found, but you had to report where you found it. It was repealed, very few were reporting what they found and is now against the law.

I still would not want people digging in our National Parks, rules or no rules they would be abused.......State forest, National forests no problem, National Parks, big problem.....

 

[Get-the-point]

I knew that State lands differed from National land, yet I was under the impression that all National land preserved served as National Parks? Both protected by Park Rangers. Please correct me if I am incorrect on this. I still think preservation trumps loss and it should never out-weigh logic when it comes to this.

 

[Get-the-point]

This is a post from 3 yrs ago and I think it is relevant to the recent post about Florida.....

 

[jamey]

i think they should just sell a lincense just like they do for hunting and fishing,bet they would make some good money

 

[fyrffytr1]

I don't think relic hunting should be allowed in places like the Grand canyon. My son is a guide there and he can take you to untouched sites. If collecting were to be allowed what would happen to these pristine areas?

 

[Charl]

I knew that State lands differed from National land, yet I was under the impression that all National land preserved served as National Parks? Both protected by Park Rangers. Please correct me if I am incorrect on this. I still think preservation trumps loss and it should never out-weigh logic when it comes to this.

No, not all preserved federal land is in the form of National Parks. Large areas managed by the BLM and Forest Service are not parks. National Forests, National Monuments, etc. Years ago, I took a tour of Canyonlands National Park with a Navajo guide. Group tour from out of Len Ottinger's rock shop in Moab, Utah. We were allowed to pick up and keep pottery shards and fossils in one location. Probably within the National Monument, as 1.4 million acres of federal monument land surrounds the National Park itself.

http://nationalatlas.gov/mld/fedlanp.html

The link below explains the different designations of federal properties:

http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/government/a_nationalparks.html

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Lots of National Recreational Areas Han be detected on, especially in the west.






3%

SI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM

MALO PERICULOSAM, LIBERTATEM QUAM QUIETAM SERVITUTEM


We will NOT go quietly into the night!

 

[NC field hunter]

GTP this would be great and probably encouraged by state parks if not for the few bad apples. You know who I'm talking about.... Rock and Gator boy! Just kidding! Lol! Seriously, you know how it goes. Give an inch and some take a mile. Holes would be dug and not filled in, money hungry pillagers would crowd parks. The ones out for a buck would probably even start fist fights among each other. Most of us are true collectors, with a flame sparked by a parent that hunted artifacts. In other words, for those of us that are "real", it's in our blood. We love this, it's our hobby and money would ruin it for us. Speaking for myself, any way, money has always taken the fun from my hobbies, when it entered the picture. I do think your idea could work. We would have to find ways of weeding out the greed hogs. I know you mentioned turning artifacts in with name recognition. Only problem with that is dishonesty. Points are easy to slide in a pocket, nice points really slide in well. Perhaps, have a few mandatory courses that must be passed before hunting privileges are granted. Strict rules on leaving open holes would help. I walked a park a week or so back..... Just walking and saw a huge pit left open. That same park is enjoyed by horse back riders and elderly hikers. Who ever left that hole open could have easily caused an elderly person to break a hip. I filled it in as best as I could. While filling the hole,I finally saw and understood why these rules have been put in place. It made me want to punch the SOB that dug the hole in his throat. GTP, your vision is possible. It will take a well planned, and written proposal. You will need a large backing and need to pick your better speakers to actually stand for the verbal reading of the proposal. If you'll have me, I'm in and will do all that I can to change these rules. If we could get surface hunting passed, that would be progress. I've thought about this more than once, can you tell? Lol! We must take this innocent, educational, and self defining hobby back. To lose access to our heritage, I feel, goes against God's law.

 

[Get-the-point]

I believe common sense serves a purpose. This is only for surface hunting. The prevention part comes with the location of it. GPS and photo insitu's must accompany a find. Holes dug must be filled and only to a certain depth. All finds will go to a museum where it is recorded and displayed. Instead, right now artifacts are slipping into the rivers lost forever. It is a win win scenario as long as it is respected. Names will forever be etched there like names on a tree keeping more then the history of the park. Keeping that in mind how many people here would not respect those rules?? I would honorably respect them without thought. I would also visit these museums throughout the country if I ever visit those areas. I think it is a great idea and could be a great thing for the parks. It has to be enforced like the laws that exist today.

 

[bci101tractors]

I really appreciate your passion GTP... you have good ideas.

 

[Get-the-point]

I don't think relic hunting should be allowed in places like the Grand canyon. My son is a guide there and he can take you to untouched sites. If collecting were to be allowed what would happen to these pristine areas?

I agree with certain parts. Say there is a village site where artifacts are strewn or a cave is discovered. These areas should be reported not touched. The rules need to be refined but they would all be logical and focused on preservation along the rivers edge.