Ok then Sam, I'm going to assume your brief text, in #6 above, was the entirety of the answer you got from "Tom", regarding the question of "can I metal detect in Ct. state parks?" Here it is, quoted straight from you, which I assume is a quote straight from him:
"It is against Ct. laws to dig in any state forest and any state parks except beaches and you must turn any rings and watches found on beaches to the staff....."
As such, I see nothing there that specifically mentions or forbids "metal detecting". Do you agree with me so far??
Ok, therefore, we are left with "digging" verbage, and "lost and found" verbage. Let's take them in reverse order:
For starters, "lost & found" verbage. Are you aware that such verbage exists everywhere? Yup, city, county, state, and fed, ALL have laws that persons must turn in, to the police (or rangers, etc...) any items that exceeds a certain dollar value limit. These laws were born out of wandering cattle laws of the 1800s. And today can be logically applied to things like: If bundles of money falls out of the back of a Brinks armored car, the lucky guy who scoops it up can't say "finders keepers". I mean, duh, it just stands to reason. Otherwise EVERY crook caught with stolen merchandise, walking down the street with stolen TV's, could just say "I found it". In CA, for instance, the value threshold is $100, state law, for which you are obligated to turn things in to the police station (the law makes no distinction of how this value is arrived at, as to whether it's replacement cost, or melt value, etc...). But a simple look at ANY metal detecting "finds" forum, and you will see ample rings, watches, etc.... being found (especially on beach hunter finds forums), and .... you tell me .... do you really think they're all running down to the police stations turning them in?
So in conclusion, the "lost & found" verbage that Tom gave you, if YOU think that stops you from metal detecting, then I suggest you give up metal detecting everywhere, right now (except on private land). Because those laws are at every level of govt. land, going back 150+ yrs. And the law makes no distinction on when YOU think an object was lost (ie.: a ring 8" deep in the park, was obviously lost 50+ yrs. ago, but no, that's not for you to decide, as the law makes no distinction).
Ok, so that takes us to the other point: "Digging". Again, are you aware that such verbage exists at ALL public lands EVERYWHERE? Eg.: also at county parks, city parks, and any public land. Or the verbage may go something along the lines of "alterations" "defacement" "vandalism" and so forth. Because of course, did you really think it was "ok" to go "deface" and "alter" and "destroy" public property, anywhere? If you make the automatic equivalence that "MD'ing = destruction and defacement", then you have lost the battle already. Give it up, and take up another hobby.
Think about it Sam: ALL such verbage DISTINCTLY applies to the end result!! So by logical definition, if you leave a spot exactly as you found it (no trace of your presence), then logically, you have not defaced, altered, destroyed, vandalized, cut or dug, HAVE YOU?? Sure someone can dispute the temporary evil process of extraction, if they want, and take issue with semantics and definitions. If this bothers you (that not everyone will love your hobby), then again, I fear you have chosen the wrong hobby.
Thus I do not consider the answer, in #6, to be saying "no metal detecting". Short of specific verbage (specifically saying "no metal detectors"), then no, all such other things are simply an issue of "no one cared TILL you asked" psychology.
? Ask treasure hunters in New York City and New York State, if they need permits to search city and state parks and forests. I believe that Tom is just interesting in harassing me. I make it simple for Tom and his friends, sent a e mail to me: 
