TVA still not issuing permits

[hammit1982]

Just wanted to update you guys, I spoke to the TVA today about their metal detecting permits. They are still suspended pending a policy review.

 

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[mlayers]

OK what is the TVA. I am visiting here is TN and was just wondering......Matt

 

[sbays]

Tennessee Valley Authority - they control the waterways and surrounding land in Tn.

 

[mlayers]

I just got back from TN and I detected in Nashville and Nolinville and saw plenty of police driving by and when I was in Nolinville park the workers never said anything to me. Plus I hunted some private proberty in Nolinville. So was I surpose to have a permit to hunt there. As of right now I am planing on heading back in Dec for another hunt......Matt

 

[twoauers]

TVA It was and still is a huge Goverment project- authorised by Congress and brought in to power in 1933 by Congressional Charter to provide electric power to the Tenn Valley, Georgia, and Alabama to improve Jobs, farms and crops, and Industry- and help up- start the south after the Great Depression. They build lock systems and dams to tame the rivers, they were many rapids and un-useable rivers for commerce in the areas where it was located. So they build a series of Dams and Locks to control the flow of the water-rivers. Also They flooded valley lands-created lakes- all places to produce suposidly cheep electic power from. To improve life in the south.

It has many facts and rumors about it, but in truth The TVA convescated a lot of farms and open lands to produce the lakes and plant sites. In many cases they under paid for and or drove famlies out and Left a bad taste in a lot of East Tenn families lives. It was a giant project to ease the Great depression, and move the area from Hand or Slave labor Cotton and Tobbacco and towards Mechanised Farming and Industry and thus more finacial growth. But, by the time all of it was done, the Depression was well past and WWII and the Build up of Industries in the North contributed more for that cause than the TVA ever hoped to do. Basicly it was a lot of work, done way to late to help anything. It is a facinating history to read and learn about, and a real mix of bad, very bad and good or very good goverment results gained from it. Look up Tenn. Valley Authority History, and also the Roosevelt Years, it will paint a true picture of it all.

Jon in Nashville

 

[airgrabber]

This was a response that I received today.....

Thank you for your inquiry. TVA must balance public use of its managed lands with its legal responsibilities to protect both natural and cultural resources. Based on the results of a recent evaluation, TVA has changed its guidelines for metal detecting and will no longer allow this activity on its managed lands in order to ensure the protection of sensitive, protected archaeological sites.

Thank you.

TVA Environmental Information Center

 

[G.I.B.]

Was there a vote? Who signed off on the guidelines? Under whose authority? Is it now a law or just a guideline? How can they enforce it?

Looks like TN is about to loose something special-

 

[Tom_in_CA]

G.I.B. here's another question: Why did this ever come up at something, in the past, that they had "permits" for, in the first place? I mean, did some TVA person .... just happen to be walking along .... see an md'r, and think to himself: "gee, there's something we need to issue permits for people to do".

I wonder how it ever got started that md'ing was something IN ANY PLACE that needs a "permit" to do? I mean, you never hear of frisbee-flying permits, so why is md'ing somehow singled out ? I'm betting that this got on their radar umpteen years ago as something to have permits for, because someone(s) went in there asking "can we metal detect?" (afterall, you "can't be too safe", right? and you "wouldn't want to get arrested", right?). And thus I bet these "permits" were the solution to this "pressing question".

And as this now shows, any time there is a permit for md'ing, it's a BAD thing, not a GOOD thing. Because the only thing THAT now does, is perpetually put it on someone's radar as something they need to think about, address, etc... And sure as heck, it's only a matter of time before an annual renewal, or some board-room meeting, before someone gets their panties in a wad thinking "do we really want all these yahoos out there 'stealing our past', and 'digging holes' blah blah ?" So permits always lead to restrictions, limitations, and often-time, as in this, to outright eventual "no".

Much better that this hobby is off the radar, and seen as innocuous and harmless. The less desk-bound bureaucrats think of me, the better

 

[XL-PRO PRO]

G.I.B. here's another question: Why did this ever come up at something, in the past, that they had "permits" for, in the first place? I mean, did some TVA person .... just happen to be walking along .... see an md'r, and think to himself: "gee, there's something we need to issue permits for people to do".

I wonder how it ever got started that md'ing was something IN ANY PLACE that needs a "permit" to do? I mean, you never hear of frisbee-flying permits, so why is md'ing somehow singled out ? I'm betting that this got on their radar umpteen years ago as something to have permits for, because someone(s) went in there asking "can we metal detect?" (afterall, you "can't be too safe", right? and you "wouldn't want to get arrested", right?). And thus I bet these "permits" were the solution to this "pressing question".

And as this now shows, any time there is a permit for md'ing, it's a BAD thing, not a GOOD thing. Because the only thing THAT now does, is perpetually put it on someone's radar as something they need to think about, address, etc... And sure as heck, it's only a matter of time before an annual renewal, or some board-room meeting, before someone gets their panties in a wad thinking "do we really want all these yahoos out there 'stealing our past', and 'digging holes' blah blah ?" So permits always lead to restrictions, limitations, and often-time, as in this, to outright eventual "no".

Much better that this hobby is off the radar, and seen as innocuous and harmless. The less desk-bound bureaucrats think of me, the better

Unfortunately,all of this land is now Federally Owned and no longer belongs to the taxpayer.Although there are very few TVA officers,there have been a few arrests for such major offenses as picking up arrowheads.At one time permits were issued but limited to beach areas&campgrounds.In Chattanooga,a detectorist caught relic hunting on TVA land had his detectors,truck and all relics in his home confiscated and was fined a stupid amount.Unfortunately,playing dumb with these folks doesn't work.DBULL