Mining Dead in NC

[Hoser John]

Yet another one bites the dust....sic sic sic
National Forests in North Carolina - Rocks & Minerals:Gold Panning

Rules from FS website, it seems not only is dredging not allowed in NC NF but sluicing is banned as well. I don't recall that bit.. anyone care to explain what the hell a forest closure order is exactly and what authority does it really have? I was thinking about dredging in NC but eh...

"
Gold Panning

Some visitors to the national forest like to try their hands at finding minerals or panning for gold. Visitors are asked to following these guidelines when rockhounding or gold panning in the National Forests in North Carolina.

Rockhounding and gold panning may take place on most national forest lands – provided only small quantities of material are removed for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Recreational rockhounding and gold panning are not allowed in Congressionally-designated wilderness areas or in the corridors of designated wild and scenic rivers.
Recreational rockhounding and gold panning are not allowed in forest areas where mineral rights are owned by a private party, or in an area that is under mineral lease to a private party.
Permits are required for removal of mineral materials for scientific and research purposes.
Commercial removal of minerals requires a prospecting permit from the Bureau of Land Management.
Materials must be removed using small hand tools without mechanical means or motorized equipment. Removing mineral materials with a pick, shovel, sluice box or similar large tools can cause significant impacts to resources is considered mechanical so therefore not allowed
SORRY CLICKABLE LINK DISAPPEARED....JUST LIKE THEIR MINING RIGHTS ARE NOW WRONGS....AS THE CANCER SPREADS EVER WIDER.....John

[russau]

PREPAIR for this comeing to your town soon! the lack of support fighting for your/our rights is pathetic!

[Joe S (AK)]

Isn't it interesting how these "guidelines" have grown, somehow, to become prohibitions with the 'kind-a sounding like' it is LAW in some way.

Bluster and officiousness from what I can see.

North Carolina has a small, but well entrenched, pay to mine structure, especially in the western part of the state - although, of course, that's on private land.

Maybe a few random written letters to the state bureau of tourism and the chamber of commerce for the local areas (or even the Governor) might help. Explaining that adopting those 'GUIDELINE' means that you would not even think about thinking of visiting NC over this kind of bull might make the agency promoting tourism go for the throat of the 'driving tourists ($) away from National Forest" drones'.

Joe