If the material is dumped on an area that is not claimed and within public lands. Not using mechanized equipment with 100 yards of the water.....would it be illegal? I.E. no evidence. Seems like just dirt on the side of the road(nice dirt with hidden goodies)
....and that should be free game. I respect your opinion, whats your take?
My company (a street sweeper company) does a lot of jobs for Caltrans. Not directly, but via paving contractors who re-pave the freeways. We work in conjunction with asphalt, tack-oil, etc... As such, I have had years of experience around Caltrans inspectors. And had lots of Caltrans contracts to see and sign, etc....
And to answer your question: I have absolutely no doubt in-my-mind, that if you passed your "pressing question" through enough caltrans lawyers, pencil pushers, and bored desk-bound bureaucrats, that you will eventually find someone that says you can't even-so-much as pick up a rock on the side of the road. Afterall, that "rock belongs to caltrans".
And SO TOO can I probably find some law or rule that forbids by 7 yr. old daughter from picking up seashells on the beach for her grade-school art project. Afterall, it probably violates the "harvest and remove" verbiage of state beaches here, eh ?
But seriously now dude: If you just "walked along the road and detected" there, do you *really* think anyone cares less ? Probably not. Moral of the story ? Don't ask silly questions, and you won't get silly answers.
