My thinking on the rules is that the Head Ranger wants to make sure that the prospectors don't find any color, get disheartened and don't come back. Just keep the people at home where they belong!
Same goes for prospecting on the ARK river. Kinda seems like what is going on out west too. Anybody see a pattern developing here?
I'm willing to bet that a lawyer never even looked at the rules.
Dickb