Written by the Treasureguide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
 |
| Crazy Bottle Opener Find. |
After some one called to ask about it, the Assistant Director of the Department of Parks referred to two ordinances which did not refer to metal detecting but did address actions such as digging and disturbing the grounds.
Here are the specific ordinances.
The city ordinances say, (c) No person shall dig or remove any sand, whether submerged or not, or any soil, rock, stones, trees, shrubs, or plants, down timber or other wood or materials, or make any excavation by tool, equipment, blasting, or other means or agency.
Also , No person shall dig in or otherwise disturb grass areas, nor in any way injure or impair the natural beauty or usefulness of any area.
You can find a link to all of the city ordinances if you go back a few posts.
I hope detectorists in the city and around the state are planning to address this issue. Freedoms are lost a little at a time. They must be protected. If no one takes action, Florida will lose a hobby valued by many of its residents. the Treasure Coast will lose a lot of tourist revenue, and jobs will be lost by those working in the metal detecting and supporting businesses. The State of Florida has one of the biggest metal retailers in the country, as well as numerous smaller ones, not to mention the treasure salvage business, museums, etc.
I am willing to collect names of those of you who wish to be added to a letter requesting that metal detecting be permitted in the St. Lucie County Parks.
This is not only important to those who live and detect in Port St. Lucie. Other cities and governmental bodies will do the same thing. I therefore hope that we get the support and action of detectorists everywhere, as we did when the proposed Florida Statutes were stopped a year or so ago.
If you participate in other detecting forums, let the readers of those forums know that their support and action is also needed.
I received a number of emails concerning the Port St. Lucie Parks decision to stop metal detecting. Here is a small part of one email from Terry T. that expresses a common sentiment.
Here is what Terry said,
It is a total shame that this country has become what
it is because of elected officials. The youth today will never be able to enjoy
what the older, and past generation's have enjoyed. Last July 40,000 new law's
went into effect. How many new law's will go into effect this year? How many new
law's do we need to live under? How many new law's will the next generation have
to live under? ...
Here is a small part of an email from Joe D., who talked to Mr. Keen, Assistant Director of PSL city Parks, after hearing about the detectorist who was told that he could not detect in a PSL city park.
I remembered a little more of my conversation with Mr. Keen that I didn't have time to write yesterday. While explaining to him how I "dig" targets, I mentioned "probe" or "probing". He said that there was no rule on probing in the ordnance....
SW wrote the following,
...A little over a year ago I was hunting my small local park, the Park and Rec. guy pulled in, sat and watched me for about 10 min., he left and two minuets later a Sheriff pulled in, parked diagonal across several spots, ran my plates and proceeded to stair at me. It made me quite uncomfortable as I was the only one in the park. When I left he followed me the four blocks to my house, he parked 3 houses down and sat there for well over a half an hour before leaving. I have not been in any park after that. I know for a fact if you get caught in the Savannah's they will confiscate your equipment including your vehicle. I was hunting private property adjacent to the rail road tracks (with permission). A small plane buzzed me, shortly after cops were everywhere. Good thing I had a letter from the owner, and was able to contact the owner by phone. They did not ask me to leave, they told me to leave and never return. There were lots of threats, jail, taken equipment, loss of business license. They said I was in the wrong spot. I know where I was I had maps and GPS. In closing I go nowhere without permission. An old timer that said he has walked and hunted along the tracks, those days are long gone. You will be arrested just walking the tracks. Sorry, just a little angry.
There are horror stories when over zealous officials run amok, but there are also wonderful stories that show how important metal detecting is.
One of many such examples was provided by Warren D. (who goes by ROBOCOP as a tribute to his dad) and who recently searched and found a lost ring for a Chinese exchange student at FIT.
He provided this follow-up to illustrate a couple of points who was to be taken to dinner as a reward for searching for and finding the ring.
...
She told me when she lost the ring her college friends, all foreign exchange students said, Go ask that redneck over there with the metal detector maybe he can find it. I wear a straw cowboy hat on the beach, now I laughed.
I told her I was born in Brooklyn, New York. My dad was a NYC cop in Manhattan. I got my BS from FIT in 1972 and my MS from FIT in 1983 when I worked at the Space Center. I said tell your friends I have more degrees from FIT than they do. We both laughed. I told her about the old saying you can't tell a book by it's cover and it's probably been my motto going thru life. I said tell your friend's that they read me wrong and do they like to play poker?
She is a graduate student in Electrical engineering and she told me her major which I can't recall the exact technical terms but she said it is the technology they put in automobiles that senses nearby cars to have collision avoidance. I said that sounds like metal detecting. More laughs.
She was interested in the differences in my metal detectors. Why one worked better in the water than the other.
I told her about pulse induction versus VLF and multiple frequency and mineralization, etc.
Very pleasant person. A lot of misperceptions in this world. From all sides including me. At least we were able to talk ours away.
This is just one of many examples of rings and other valuables being found by detectorists, who also remove a lot of trash and even dangerous items.
Although people might judge people by appearances, detectorists are fine group of people who do a lot of good deeds but are often misjudged by those who do not participate in the hobby.
We need to educate the public and our elected officials.
Sephan, a detectorist who reads this blog, is an attorney. He is the one that gave me the link to the city ordinances. Here is his suggestion.
You might get a group together to do a petition to exclude metal detecting from these two provisions.
I am willing to put together a letter to send to the parks department if there are a good number of readers who will sign on to it.
Some have already called the city to indicate their support for allowing metal detecting in the parks.
If that is something you wish to do, please be organized, prepared and friendly and present your position concisely. Remember, there are no provisions against metal detecting, even though that seems to be what is being enforced.
I don't know how many tons of trash I've removed form parks in the past. Also dangerous items such as knives and brass knuckles.
On the Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions remain unchanged, but there is no question that gold will be found after the busy holiday weekend.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
Here is a small part of an email from Joe D., who talked to Mr. Keen, Assistant Director of PSL city Parks, after hearing about the detectorist who was told that he could not detect in a PSL city park.
I remembered a little more of my conversation with Mr. Keen that I didn't have time to write yesterday. While explaining to him how I "dig" targets, I mentioned "probe" or "probing". He said that there was no rule on probing in the ordnance....
SW wrote the following,
...A little over a year ago I was hunting my small local park, the Park and Rec. guy pulled in, sat and watched me for about 10 min., he left and two minuets later a Sheriff pulled in, parked diagonal across several spots, ran my plates and proceeded to stair at me. It made me quite uncomfortable as I was the only one in the park. When I left he followed me the four blocks to my house, he parked 3 houses down and sat there for well over a half an hour before leaving. I have not been in any park after that. I know for a fact if you get caught in the Savannah's they will confiscate your equipment including your vehicle. I was hunting private property adjacent to the rail road tracks (with permission). A small plane buzzed me, shortly after cops were everywhere. Good thing I had a letter from the owner, and was able to contact the owner by phone. They did not ask me to leave, they told me to leave and never return. There were lots of threats, jail, taken equipment, loss of business license. They said I was in the wrong spot. I know where I was I had maps and GPS. In closing I go nowhere without permission. An old timer that said he has walked and hunted along the tracks, those days are long gone. You will be arrested just walking the tracks. Sorry, just a little angry.
There are horror stories when over zealous officials run amok, but there are also wonderful stories that show how important metal detecting is.
One of many such examples was provided by Warren D. (who goes by ROBOCOP as a tribute to his dad) and who recently searched and found a lost ring for a Chinese exchange student at FIT.
He provided this follow-up to illustrate a couple of points who was to be taken to dinner as a reward for searching for and finding the ring.
...
She told me when she lost the ring her college friends, all foreign exchange students said, Go ask that redneck over there with the metal detector maybe he can find it. I wear a straw cowboy hat on the beach, now I laughed.
I told her I was born in Brooklyn, New York. My dad was a NYC cop in Manhattan. I got my BS from FIT in 1972 and my MS from FIT in 1983 when I worked at the Space Center. I said tell your friends I have more degrees from FIT than they do. We both laughed. I told her about the old saying you can't tell a book by it's cover and it's probably been my motto going thru life. I said tell your friend's that they read me wrong and do they like to play poker?
She is a graduate student in Electrical engineering and she told me her major which I can't recall the exact technical terms but she said it is the technology they put in automobiles that senses nearby cars to have collision avoidance. I said that sounds like metal detecting. More laughs.
She was interested in the differences in my metal detectors. Why one worked better in the water than the other.
I told her about pulse induction versus VLF and multiple frequency and mineralization, etc.
Very pleasant person. A lot of misperceptions in this world. From all sides including me. At least we were able to talk ours away.
This is just one of many examples of rings and other valuables being found by detectorists, who also remove a lot of trash and even dangerous items.
Although people might judge people by appearances, detectorists are fine group of people who do a lot of good deeds but are often misjudged by those who do not participate in the hobby.
We need to educate the public and our elected officials.
Sephan, a detectorist who reads this blog, is an attorney. He is the one that gave me the link to the city ordinances. Here is his suggestion.
You might get a group together to do a petition to exclude metal detecting from these two provisions.
I am willing to put together a letter to send to the parks department if there are a good number of readers who will sign on to it.
Some have already called the city to indicate their support for allowing metal detecting in the parks.
If that is something you wish to do, please be organized, prepared and friendly and present your position concisely. Remember, there are no provisions against metal detecting, even though that seems to be what is being enforced.
I don't know how many tons of trash I've removed form parks in the past. Also dangerous items such as knives and brass knuckles.
On the Treasure Coast beach detecting conditions remain unchanged, but there is no question that gold will be found after the busy holiday weekend.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
