Panning and Sluicing is Not mineral collecting that's where the sticking point is, there needs to be a distinction,
the FS is using California's use of their rock hounding rules that include panning,
to regulate a non-discretionary activity to hands and pans or not at all.
Gold panning and sluicing should be declared an existing use.
its prospecting
You need to get something passed in California that say's non-motorized is exempt from all permitting
along with a prospecting description, pan, sluice, rocker box, recirculating equipment...
something that would have to be used other than mineral collecting that they use elsewhere for hands & pans bull*hit
they were never closed to prospecting. see page 87 (pdf,105)
https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/1506a-e/report.pdf
Lands in Angeles National Forest were withdrawn from mineral entry in 1928"*** to conserve the water resources
and to encourage reforestation of the watersheds" (Public Law No.578, S.4135-70th Congress);
withdrawn lands within the Wilderness study area, mainly on the west side, constitute about 4.5mi Sq(12km) (fig.19).
The law does not prohibit prospecting and allows entry to proven ore deposits but effectively discourages complex exploration methods.
