Gold prspecting and rock collecting in CA state parks

[glassbutterfly]

At the flee market one day I got to talking to a fellow about looking for gold. He told me about how a ranger in an Orvill state park told him it was OK to collect quartz there. So I contacted the State parks department and also looked through other park regulations listed on the web. Each park is treated as its own entity by what ever ranger is in charge of that park. Not all parks allow mineral collecting depending on the desishon of the head ranger at a perticular park. However rules are in place to allow mineral collecting at all CA state parks ( if only each head ranger would be willing to take the time to look through the rules more of them may deside to allow some rock collecting such as from rivers for exsample ). Some head rangers just diside not to allow the collecting of minerals on their own park. I was told by e mail that 5 to !5 pounds of rock can be removed from a park that allows mineral collecting. Spesific designated locations may be in effect. Specific tools may be listed as useble in each park that allows mineral collecting. Always call a park to see if they allow mineral collecting or gold panning before you go. Happy hunting every one!

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

At the flee market one day I got to talking to a fellow about looking for gold. He told me about how a ranger in an Orvill state park told him it was OK to collect quartz there. So I contacted the State parks department and also looked through other park regulations listed on the web. Each park is treated as its own entity by what ever ranger is in charge of that park. Not all parks allow mineral collecting depending on the desishon of the head ranger at a perticular park. However rules are in place to allow mineral collecting at all CA state parks ( if only each head ranger would be willing to take the time to look through the rules more of them may deside to allow some rock collecting such as from rivers for exsample ). Some head rangers just diside not to allow the collecting of minerals on their own park. I was told by e mail that 5 to !5 pounds of rock can be removed from a park that allows mineral collecting. Spesific designated locations may be in effect. Specific tools may be listed as useble in each park that allows mineral collecting. Always call a park to see if they allow mineral collecting or gold panning before you go. Happy hunting every one!

glass-butterfly, in reading your post, you have deduced that a lot of the yes or no is, as you say, up to the whims and decisions of the specific person duty (sector personell, etc...) at any given location, at the time. Right? And that whether allowed or disallowed in state-capitol verbage, yet someone on site, can "decide" or interpret as he sees fit. And actually, such is the verbage you would find at a LOT of compendiums on the matter, when it comes to metal detecting. What I mean is: if you look down that list that the FMDAC has assembled, for instance, you see that AGAIN AND AGAIN on the list. Things like "inquire at each kiosk", or "with permission from the ranger at that station or park", and so forth. As if to say..... there's no one specific yes or no, right or wrong, but that's it's simply up to each individual decision by a power that be.

I know this sounds arbitrary and whimsical, but when you think of it, it's the "safe" answer that would be forthcoming, when presented to a desk-bound-bureaucrat having to answer for "an entire state". Because: admittedly some state parks are innocuous, and just perhaps beaches, modern campgrounds, and not-of-a-historic sensitive nature. Whereas others could in fact have historic theme, and be "sensitive". Hence the easy answer of: "Inquire of the personell at each site" or "ask at each kiosk" blah blah."

The problem THEN becomes, that it's as you can figure: Arbitrary, capricious, and whimsical. And worse yet: I'm betting that 99% of those who you grovel and ask "can I?" to, probably never cared less, nor ever would have noticed !! But now there you are, grovelling for their say-so and princely sanction, so the "safe answer" psychology is now in THEIR hands. So they say either "no", or "not to exceed 5 pounds" or other such edicts "simply because they say so". And I bet in most of those cases, their cases of "no one cared .... TILL you asked". And now all you do by asking, is put it on their radar as something that *needs* their princely sanction.

I am convinced that if my 5 yr. old daughter wanted to pick up a pretty seashell on the beach, and If I went for "permission" to enough desk-bound bureaucrats in Sacramento, that I would indeed find one to tell me "no". Why? D/t things that forbid "harvesting", "taking", "removing" and disturbing sand crabs. But seriously now, did anyone ever care less if my daughter picked up the seashell, .... UNTIL I asked? NO, of course not

 

[cazisme]

Tom , your right it would be an unlawful use of public property. Pretty soon we wont be able to use the sidewalk for fear of hurting the concrete.

 

[glassbutterfly]

Indeed it is at the whim of the ranger on duty. But remember there is always a head ranger at a state park that is above those at the kiosk that makes the final rules of the park. How ever I had good luck getting permishion to collect rocks at state beaches in Monteray county. At one beach that had beautiful marbled jasper the ranger did lapidary and said I could collect any thing as long as I did not dig it out of the cliff. The other place was a camp ground by a river just be for you get to the Herst Castle area. Before I payed to camp I asked if I could collect a few rocks on the beach. Answer was yes. So State beach rangers seem very willing to allow some rock collecting. The collecting rocks rule for state parks is not manditory for any state park. It just is simply there in the list of rules for state parks. Any head ranger of a state park can diside to allow or not allow collecting of rocks. No bureaucrat answers for the entire state parks service in regards to rock collecting.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Glass butterfly : and you know what's funny about those 2 "yes" you got about rocks there ? Is that if you or I went in their tomorrow and asked another person at that SAME desk (their superior or their coworker or whatever ), you might get an entirely different answer .

And let me ask you this too: After getting those yes's , were you ever even carded in-the-field anyhow ? I mean, where anyone ever asked you "who said you can do that ? "