NO METAL DETECTING IN BERKS COUNTY PARKS IN READING PENNA.

[bob g]

i HAVE A FREIND WHO IS A COUNTY POLICE OFFICER WHO PATROLS ALL COUNTY PARKS HE TOLD ME THAT i WOULD NEED PERMISION FROM DIRECTOR WHOM i WENT TO SEE BIG MISTAKE SHE HATES MD PERIOD SAYS THAT IN THE PAST PEOPLE LEFT HOLES ALL OVER ETC. TOLD ME SHE WILL PROSECUTE TO FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW ANY ONE CAUGHT !!!!! MY FRIEND SAYS HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT SHE WAS THAT BAD BUT HE TELLS ME THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFF. PROBLEMS AND THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN DIGGING BIG HOLES IN THE PARK . IN THE EVENINGS DETECTING SAYS HE HAS CHASED OUT PEOPLE WITH SHOVELLS I THINK IT -------- THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO IRISPONSIBLE

 

[jeff of pa]

My guess since it is not allowed,
They do it at night & too fast to care about holes.

If it were Legal, They would take their time
& Care

Treat Detectorists Like Criminals &
you get what you ask for

 

[P.B. and Dylan]

your a brave man to metal detect in Reading.

 

[mikhen]

All Berks County owned property is off limits. Even the deeply wooded and secluded areas around Antietam Lake. I inquired about this a year or 2 ago and got a reply that it MDing is prohibited on all county owned property. Sucks if you ask me.

 

[jeff of pa]

All Berks County owned property is off limits. Even the deeply wooded and secluded areas around Antietam Lake. I inquired about this a year or 2 ago and got a reply that it MDing is prohibited on all county owned property. Sucks if you ask me.

mikhen, I think you will find that all Non Privatley
owned "public" Property in the U.S. is off limits, to Metal detect,
National, state, county, township, city, borough, town,
village, & parishes.
if you ask the wrong person.

And get a "I don't see a problem" if you ask the right person.

and a chance of being ignored all together, if you don't ask anyone.

I am not saying Just have at it anywhere you want,
I'm saying Choose your moral Battles carefully, by location.

 

[P.B. and Dylan]

When I started metal detecting a few years ago I wasn't (and still am not) comfortable asking permission to hunt on private property. I used the property tax site to find "public" lands (county, township, borough, state, etc.). I am in areas that are secluded and don't usually see anyone. I have never been questioned. I also am very respectful of my actions and don't leave signs that I was there. My finds are for the most part, worthless artifact's and trash.

I know there are people on here that would tell me that what I am doing is wrong, but the way I look at it is this is our land, our taxes pay for it, I am not being destructive or taking anything of value, I am cleaning up trash, I respect the area and the fact that this is not my personal property so at the minimum I leave it the same way I found it.

For anyone reading this that never metal detected, my use of public lands is no more "destructive" then playing baseball, football or soccer, hiking, Geo caching, horseback riding, bicycling, motorbike riding, fishing, hunting or many other activities that are acceptable uses of public lands. There will always be people in every hobby that are disrespectful, but this is an activity not real different from the others I mentioned and most of my fellow metal are decent, respectful people.

 

[bob g]

Please note that when I wrote this I was very angry the director of parks treated me like some kind of thief and costing taxpayer money I didn't take this nicely and tried to explain that not all people are alike she would hear none of it she was overly -------in her language attitude etc. I told her that she should remember that she works for taxpayer and not herself I got very dejected I try very hard to do whats right but it seems that Id be better of going the other way sad

 

[jeff of pa]

Please note that when I wrote this I was very angry the director of parks treated me like some kind of thief and costing taxpayer money I didn't take this nicely and tried to explain that not all people are alike she would hear none of it she was overly -------in her language attitude etc. I told her that she should remember that she works for taxpayer and not herself I got very dejected I try very hard to do whats right but it seems that Id be better of going the other way sad

Yes Some people Just think
they own the world.

I Get realy sick of the "Not in My Back yard attitude"
I wish My back yard was county Wide

Personally I feel,
if I don't have to Mow it by Law, It ain't
My Buisness what happens on it

 

[dmac730]

Sometimes its better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission

Especially if there are no signs posted...ignorance is bliss.

 

[dmac730]

Hey Bob, guess we need to wait for the ground to defrost

 

[FinderKeeper]

Hi , Is the land owned by the state DCNR or county. If you can walk on the land you should be able to use a metal detector on the land but no digging. You can use a small ice pick or screwdriver to probe but if you get caught with a small shovel , or any digging tools on you you are screwed They will be looking for the person that dug the holes or anyone with digging tools to set as an example. I can use metal detectors and ground radar on state lands and they can't stop me if I don't dig. But I need a $15,000 bond to use a GPL on state lands and if I don't fill in the 1/2" holes that are 12" deep I could lose the bond, and I have to tell DCNR ahead of time were and when I use it.
I been working on state lands for over 8 years and in other states to and I never had any fines yet, know the law and read between the lines.

 

[dogpound]

i HAVE A FREIND WHO IS A COUNTY POLICE OFFICER WHO PATROLS ALL COUNTY PARKS HE TOLD ME THAT i WOULD NEED PERMISION FROM DIRECTOR WHOM i WENT TO SEE BIG MISTAKE SHE HATES MD PERIOD SAYS THAT IN THE PAST PEOPLE LEFT HOLES ALL OVER ETC. TOLD ME SHE WILL PROSECUTE TO FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW ANY ONE CAUGHT !!!!! MY FRIEND SAYS HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT SHE WAS THAT BAD BUT HE TELLS ME THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFF. PROBLEMS AND THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN DIGGING BIG HOLES IN THE PARK . IN THE EVENINGS DETECTING SAYS HE HAS CHASED OUT PEOPLE WITH SHOVELLS I THINK IT -------- THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO IRISPONSIBLE

not all parks in berks are operated by the parks & rec department and are detectable

 

[savant365]

Sometimes its better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission

Especially if there are no signs posted...ignorance is bliss.

Very true A couple months down the road a judge is most likely gonna toss it unless you have a record.

 

[mikhen]

i HAVE A FREIND WHO IS A COUNTY POLICE OFFICER WHO PATROLS ALL COUNTY PARKS HE TOLD ME THAT i WOULD NEED PERMISION FROM DIRECTOR WHOM i WENT TO SEE BIG MISTAKE SHE HATES MD PERIOD SAYS THAT IN THE PAST PEOPLE LEFT HOLES ALL OVER ETC. TOLD ME SHE WILL PROSECUTE TO FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW ANY ONE CAUGHT !!!!! MY FRIEND SAYS HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT SHE WAS THAT BAD BUT HE TELLS ME THEY HAVE A LOT OF DIFF. PROBLEMS AND THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN DIGGING BIG HOLES IN THE PARK . IN THE EVENINGS DETECTING SAYS HE HAS CHASED OUT PEOPLE WITH SHOVELLS I THINK IT -------- THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO IRISPONSIBLE

not all parks in berks are operated by the parks & rec department and are detectable

Problem with that is that it's actually no detecting on any county owned land. Now, that being said, unless it's posted, or you are carrying a very current property map, and a gps, how would you know if you are on county land? The county owns hundreds of acres around Antietam Lake. I heavily doubt that the entire land is clearly marked as county owned. Just food for thought.

 

[jeff of pa]

Zoom in See if the county or Who owns it

http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Mapping/Pages/GISParcelViewer-InteractiveWebMaps.aspx

 

[mikhen]

Zoom in See if the county or Who owns it

http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Mapping/Pages/GISParcelViewer-InteractiveWebMaps.aspx

I use that site often. But when you out on open land, those boundary lines aren't marked on the ground, and I don't have a fancy phone with gps on it.

 

[dogpound]

i stick with township property and don't have a problem

 

[dogpound]

this is the list of what the berks dept of parks and rec manages...... http://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Parks/Pages/BerksCountyParks.aspx