I will update this thread with any responses I receive from any member of the commitee on Natural Resources. The crew in the Shipwreck forum recently flooded the State of Florida House and Senate members with emails regarding a bill that contained verbage that would have made it illegal for anyone to dig and remove objects older than 50 years on their own private property and in any State owned lands and waters. There was so much response that the bill was killed on the floor and withdrawn before a vote. I figure if enough people did the same with members of the Committee on Natural Resources in Washington our voice may be heard. These are the folks who are crafting the laws that are impacting us all. If we are not diligent in our vigil and speak out to those making laws that restrict or abuse our freedoms like what was done to Mark Hepfner and his family, we are screwed and have no one to blame but ourselves. Though I have never prospected for gold and other precious metals and gems, I would like to do it some day and am planning a future trip to Galt in California between Sacramento and Lodi. Got some old friends there that have access to private property in the area. Will keep all posted if I hear anything from the folks in Washington. Hope a bunch of you will send emails to them to voice your concerns.
Almost forgot, there is a petition that needs to be signed to stop the NOAA from turning a lot of the Atlantic coast and Gulf Coast into a marine sanctuary. You know what happens under the guise of "Sanctuary" and environmental areas. They get eventually are restricted to public activity and use. Sorry for the long post but if you would take the time to read and go to the link to sign the petition, that would be great!
Hey all sign the petition at the bottom of this and spread this around !!
Sanctuary Alert! This affects Everyone on the coasts of the USA We need to Fight this
This just in from Pat Clyne on Facebook.Spread it around to all your treasure hunting friends also,scuba divers,surfers,kiteboarders,fisherman and anyone that goes to the beach or oceans and g
ulf.
The “Mother” of all Battles:
We thought it would be appropriate to form this group today, May 13th, to express a dire urgency to ALL people, especially those living on our coastlines and those who visit, that your rights to our ocean’s waterways are being threatened by a startling number of bureaucrats and legislators in Washington who are planning a strategic ‘coup’ to take away individual State’s rights by federalizing our country’s coastlines and banning certain activities that we as a people have enjoyed since becoming a free nation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) is feverishly trying to pass legislation to form and extend Marine Sanctuaries on our East Coast before the Nov. elections. Although many may believe that this is a protective move to save our oceans resources (which is precisely how they present it and what they want you to believe), it is nothing more then a “Taking” of our rights to continue to practice our freedoms to enjoy and work in our professions.
Ask any fisherman, wreck diver, private salvor, or boating enthusiast living in a Marine Sanctuary and they will tell you how their rights to pursue their chosen endeavor has been either harshly restricted or totally banned once these Sanctuary’s are in place.
They MUST be STOPPED! And the only way that can happen is for us, the people of this country, who have been given this responsibility, to tell our government officials WE want to STOP this NOW! If we don’t do it NOBODY else will.
In the coming days and weeks we will be posting more information on this latest government intrusion on our private lives and ask you to participate in this “Coastline Coalition” of like minded individuals who want to see our present freedoms on the sea remain intact. Thank You.
Here is one way to help STOP the Sanctuary's Expansion:
http://www.change.org/petitions/noaa..._inviter_modal
NEWS FLASH 
