State Parks OR

[elkman13]

I keep reading about State Parks in Oregon being open to metal detecting. Not so fast if you read this. I copied it from the State web page.

Posted July 2007
Metal Detecting is no longer allowed in many of Oregon’s State Parks. Based on
assessments at each park within the state, a park is now zoned Green, Yellow or Red
based on its Cultural Heritage significance. You must check with the District Field
Office for a particular park you are interested in to find out what it has been zoned.
The State has not finished their assessments of all the parks, so some parks may not
yet come under this new zoning, but they will eventually so check often.
Here is what the color codes mean to you as a person interested in detecting:
A park zoned:
Green — Detecting is allowed without a permit. A small digging tool is allowed.
Yellow — Surface detecting is allowed without a permit, but absolutely NO DIGGING. So
leave your digging tools at home! This includes roped off swimming areas that have been
leased by the park.
Red — Surface detecting is allowed without a permit, but absolutely NO DIGGING. So
leave your digging tools at home! This includes swimming areas that have been leased by
the park.
NOTE: This information has not yet been posted on the State Park website, and there is
not yet available any official documentation of the rules, etc. regarding these changes. As
more information becomes available it will be posted on our Club’s website. We encourage
you to contact your local District Field Office to inquire about the parks in your area. In the
Southern Willamette District alone, which includes Lane County, 62parks are now zoned
yellow and red and off limits to any digging as of May 2007.

Not sure why Red and Yellow sound about the same. That's the state talking I guess.

[Cynangyl]

yeah I guess....they sounded the same to me anyway! I was not aware of this and I know the treasure club we used to belong to has gotten permits to detect in a couple of the state parks in this area....one was just a couple of weeks ago even. I guess we ought to look into this if we are considering state parks for detecting. Thanks for sharing that!

[eathan]

elkman13, thanks for the post on the new zoning. It helps.

Can you please double check the last two definitions though? Yellow and Red seem to have the same description.

[greydigger]

What the others said...
If I scuff my feet in the sand are my shoes digging tools?
Guess I will ask locally.
Also on that subject, I was on Sauvies Island in Portland and an there are large signs saying what you cannot do.
The first is parking ( And I scoffed at the folks from the east coast, lol).
Permits are $11/yr. so not too bad. Then " No taking of (everything) except fish.
I pulled up to a sheriffs deputy and asked him if that included coins from the beach.
He said "Do you mean Metal Detecting?" I said yes and he replied that was no problem at all and good luck. Mostly concerning sand and firewood stealers.
Probably not good coin finds on the legally nude beaches tho.
Joe

[eathan]

Probably not good coin finds on the legally nude beaches tho.

Dunno', I'd imagine a lot can fall out of your pockets while stripping down on sand...

[Cynangyl]

LOL he does have a point there!

[shark_50]

Yellow says "roped off" and Red just says swimming areas. ............................Oh well Just look for the ropes.

[Fishenfool]

I have a permit to hunt a few state parks in the valley here, permit is good for a year. And a ranger sit there and watched me dig a few holes no problem

[HunterSteve]

How would one obtain a permit?