lesjcbs
Hero Member
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2011
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- Detector(s) used
- Pocket dowsing L- Rods shown above. Whites Beach Comber, Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II, Whites TM 808, Canon 350D EOS Digital Rebel XT DSLR Camera.
- Primary Interest:
- Metal Detecting
- #1
Thread Owner
A house divided against itself cannot stand. Remember that saying?
We in the metal detecting community are under serious attack. It is getting to the point where it could come down that buying a metal detector could be illegal. Don't rule it out!
We need to react and act, or we will be acted upon.
To find out what is happening and where, go to the Federation Of Metal Detecting And Archaeological club web site (FMDAC).
I hope this letter will inspire you to join in the fight and to write your own and every Senator and Congressman in the U.S. This is a national issue and tons of letters need to be written and sent to our law makers.. It is no longer enough to just read.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Senator xxxxx
Since 1975, I have enjoyed and participated in the Recreational Metal Detecting activity and hobby. I was introduced to it by my shop Supervisor when I was in the USAF and stationed at Castle AFB California.
Metal Detecting is a wonderful and fantastic activity that involves getting out into the great outdoors with family and friends and getting in some good quality exercise time.
But, along the way, we in the Metal Detecting community have run into highly restrictive, bizarre, repressive, and ridiculous laws that need to be changed. These laws, the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 and other laws were put into place when metal detectors were hardly known, when metal detecting was not so popular as it is now, and because some careless individuals in the far gone past dug up and destroyed things from ancient times that should have been left alone.
When you look at the regulations of individual government agencies, such as the Nation Park Service or the National Forest Service, the attitude and understanding about and towards the Recreational Metal Detecting activity and community varies radically. The National Park Service regulations are extremely restrictive, repressive, and out of touch with reality, but the National Forest Service has a more realistic view, respect, understanding, and attitude.
In the case of the National Park Service the regulations are so strict, one can only conclude that when leaving any national park, you must stop at the gate, brush off your shoes and wash your car down to keep from taking any park dirt out of the park, as you must not take anything out with you and park dirt is on shoes, cars, ATV's, and dirt bikes. Also, in some national parks, ATV'S, dirt bikes, and 4X4 trucks can run about freely, creating deep gashes and holes with impunity, and it is allowed. Yet, heaven forbid we bring in an 8” garden hand trowel like the one grandma uses to cultivate her rose garden with and threaten to dig down 1” – 3” in the dirt while metal detecting to recover a coin or piece of lost jewelry. HEAVEN FORBID!
On the other hand, the National Forest Service recognizes that recreational metal detecting is a: “low surface impact, casual activity where small holes deeper than 6” are rarely dug” and thus it is allowed. The National Forest Service has it right.
The reason I point this out is I recently wrote the Superintendent of the Lone Rock Recreational area of Lake Powell near Page Arizona, asking permission to metal detect there on the beach and surrounding area. The answer was “No.” Yet when you go there, you will find deep gashes in the sand, the hills west of it are torn up from ATV's and dirt bikes climbing those hills. You will also find open holes on the beach with black rocks around pits where a camp fire was built. You will also find an occasional smashed aluminum soda or beer can close by. But again, heaven forbid we bring in grandmas 8” garden trowel to dig out a coin in the sand, then fill in the hole. If that area contained artifacts from ancient times and peoples, and is thus so sensitive, then vehicular traffic should not be allowed either. But that area IS NOT an area that contains ancient artifacts and IS NOT a sensitive archeologic area. Any such things that MIGHT have been there before the dam was built and Lake Powell was formed, have long since been destroyed. Moreover, in some national parks and national monument areas, where feasible, hunting with guns is allowed, even to the extent that some hunters have been accidentally shot and killed.
To add insult to injury, the National Park regulations also forbids you passing through a national park on your way to a destination miles outside the park and having a metal detector in your car. This part of the law is wrong on many levels.
The metal detecting community has and goes by a code of conduct you don't see elsewhere. I can say with total accuracy, most of us follow it to the letter. Here is just part of that code. It varies depending on who you are talking with, but this will give you an idea and feel of who we are and what we do:
The Antiquities Act of 1906, states that anything that is 100 years or older is not to be taken. The Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 states that anything that is 50 years or older is not to be taken. IF we are to STAY WITH the 100 year and 50-year-old time dates, then that means the following:
1. In the case of the Antiquities Act of 1906 it would be more reasonable for it to state anything that is older than 1806 (1906 - 100 = 1806) is not to be taken.
2. Likewise, for ARPA, it would be more reasonable to state that anything that is older than 1929 (1979 - 50 = 1929) should not be taken. Furthermore, the way this law is currently written and reads, it means that if you go to your bank and draw out a roll of coins and one or two coins were minted before 1970, then legally and by law, you cannot spend it as it is old enough today to be an archaeological artifact and is protected.
In closing, I want to point out that even though ARPA, the Antiquities Act and other laws were put in place to protect, preserve, and for the public to see and enjoy things from the past, from personal experience with archaeologists, I can assure you with total 100% confidence, that the greater and vast majority of artifacts found by Archaeologists, are either locked up in back rooms to be kept from the public eye, or destroyed by one method or the other. On the other hand, recreational metal detecting finds are routinely shared daily with friends, relatives, and other visitors to see, enjoy, and to envy. The metal detecting community IS NOT interested at all in bones, arrow heads, spear heads, pottery, or ancient corn cobs. Look on the internet and you will find thousands of pictures posted by metal detectonists. One such great web site is the forum in www.treasurenet.com under the thread "Today's Finds." The number of metallic finds there are staggering and the posts go back years in time, and you can view and enjoy them all, like they should be. Additionally, after all these years, Archaeologists are starting to recognize and appreciate the value of using metal detectors in their digs, and either own one or will ask someone who has one and knows how to use it to help them.
I respectfully request that you look in to changing these laws to allow “Recreational Metal Detecting” activity in these areas and lands where it is not currently allowed. As the laws are currently written, they are way beyond being grossly ridiculous. Changing them to be more sensible is the right thing to do.
Thank you for your kind attention to this issue.
We in the metal detecting community are under serious attack. It is getting to the point where it could come down that buying a metal detector could be illegal. Don't rule it out!
We need to react and act, or we will be acted upon.
To find out what is happening and where, go to the Federation Of Metal Detecting And Archaeological club web site (FMDAC).
I hope this letter will inspire you to join in the fight and to write your own and every Senator and Congressman in the U.S. This is a national issue and tons of letters need to be written and sent to our law makers.. It is no longer enough to just read.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Senator xxxxx
Since 1975, I have enjoyed and participated in the Recreational Metal Detecting activity and hobby. I was introduced to it by my shop Supervisor when I was in the USAF and stationed at Castle AFB California.
Metal Detecting is a wonderful and fantastic activity that involves getting out into the great outdoors with family and friends and getting in some good quality exercise time.
But, along the way, we in the Metal Detecting community have run into highly restrictive, bizarre, repressive, and ridiculous laws that need to be changed. These laws, the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 and other laws were put into place when metal detectors were hardly known, when metal detecting was not so popular as it is now, and because some careless individuals in the far gone past dug up and destroyed things from ancient times that should have been left alone.
When you look at the regulations of individual government agencies, such as the Nation Park Service or the National Forest Service, the attitude and understanding about and towards the Recreational Metal Detecting activity and community varies radically. The National Park Service regulations are extremely restrictive, repressive, and out of touch with reality, but the National Forest Service has a more realistic view, respect, understanding, and attitude.
In the case of the National Park Service the regulations are so strict, one can only conclude that when leaving any national park, you must stop at the gate, brush off your shoes and wash your car down to keep from taking any park dirt out of the park, as you must not take anything out with you and park dirt is on shoes, cars, ATV's, and dirt bikes. Also, in some national parks, ATV'S, dirt bikes, and 4X4 trucks can run about freely, creating deep gashes and holes with impunity, and it is allowed. Yet, heaven forbid we bring in an 8” garden hand trowel like the one grandma uses to cultivate her rose garden with and threaten to dig down 1” – 3” in the dirt while metal detecting to recover a coin or piece of lost jewelry. HEAVEN FORBID!
On the other hand, the National Forest Service recognizes that recreational metal detecting is a: “low surface impact, casual activity where small holes deeper than 6” are rarely dug” and thus it is allowed. The National Forest Service has it right.
The reason I point this out is I recently wrote the Superintendent of the Lone Rock Recreational area of Lake Powell near Page Arizona, asking permission to metal detect there on the beach and surrounding area. The answer was “No.” Yet when you go there, you will find deep gashes in the sand, the hills west of it are torn up from ATV's and dirt bikes climbing those hills. You will also find open holes on the beach with black rocks around pits where a camp fire was built. You will also find an occasional smashed aluminum soda or beer can close by. But again, heaven forbid we bring in grandmas 8” garden trowel to dig out a coin in the sand, then fill in the hole. If that area contained artifacts from ancient times and peoples, and is thus so sensitive, then vehicular traffic should not be allowed either. But that area IS NOT an area that contains ancient artifacts and IS NOT a sensitive archeologic area. Any such things that MIGHT have been there before the dam was built and Lake Powell was formed, have long since been destroyed. Moreover, in some national parks and national monument areas, where feasible, hunting with guns is allowed, even to the extent that some hunters have been accidentally shot and killed.
To add insult to injury, the National Park regulations also forbids you passing through a national park on your way to a destination miles outside the park and having a metal detector in your car. This part of the law is wrong on many levels.
The metal detecting community has and goes by a code of conduct you don't see elsewhere. I can say with total accuracy, most of us follow it to the letter. Here is just part of that code. It varies depending on who you are talking with, but this will give you an idea and feel of who we are and what we do:
- Always ask permission to detect where needed.
- Fill in all holes to the extent no one can tell you were there.
- Do not destroy private or public property.
- Close all gates.
- Obey all NO TRESPASSING signs. No fence jumping.
- Pack out what you packed in.
- Leave all wild life animals alone.
- Pick up trash you find and put it in the nearest trash bin.
- Report your discovery of any item that is possibly of archaeological interest.
- Protect the metal detecting hobby by being a good will ambassador.
The Antiquities Act of 1906, states that anything that is 100 years or older is not to be taken. The Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979 states that anything that is 50 years or older is not to be taken. IF we are to STAY WITH the 100 year and 50-year-old time dates, then that means the following:
1. In the case of the Antiquities Act of 1906 it would be more reasonable for it to state anything that is older than 1806 (1906 - 100 = 1806) is not to be taken.
2. Likewise, for ARPA, it would be more reasonable to state that anything that is older than 1929 (1979 - 50 = 1929) should not be taken. Furthermore, the way this law is currently written and reads, it means that if you go to your bank and draw out a roll of coins and one or two coins were minted before 1970, then legally and by law, you cannot spend it as it is old enough today to be an archaeological artifact and is protected.
In closing, I want to point out that even though ARPA, the Antiquities Act and other laws were put in place to protect, preserve, and for the public to see and enjoy things from the past, from personal experience with archaeologists, I can assure you with total 100% confidence, that the greater and vast majority of artifacts found by Archaeologists, are either locked up in back rooms to be kept from the public eye, or destroyed by one method or the other. On the other hand, recreational metal detecting finds are routinely shared daily with friends, relatives, and other visitors to see, enjoy, and to envy. The metal detecting community IS NOT interested at all in bones, arrow heads, spear heads, pottery, or ancient corn cobs. Look on the internet and you will find thousands of pictures posted by metal detectonists. One such great web site is the forum in www.treasurenet.com under the thread "Today's Finds." The number of metallic finds there are staggering and the posts go back years in time, and you can view and enjoy them all, like they should be. Additionally, after all these years, Archaeologists are starting to recognize and appreciate the value of using metal detectors in their digs, and either own one or will ask someone who has one and knows how to use it to help them.
I respectfully request that you look in to changing these laws to allow “Recreational Metal Detecting” activity in these areas and lands where it is not currently allowed. As the laws are currently written, they are way beyond being grossly ridiculous. Changing them to be more sensible is the right thing to do.
Thank you for your kind attention to this issue.