.... Do you think there is a generational adjustment occuring within the hobby, and that this transition from the old guard to the new guard is the cause of the division, or just a symptom?...
Excellent brain-picking Deft-Tones ! I've given this much thought myself as well over the years (since this is a "bee in my bonnet" doh!)
As someone who was there in the old generation (1970s, albeit only as a teenager just starting out): I distinctly recall when such talk was un-heard of. NONE OF US would have ever wondered about "is it legal?" or "can I?" etc... It would never have crossed our mind that there WAS any problem with any particular beach, or forest, or campground, etc... (such that you'd think you need to ask "can I metal detect here?").
OH SURE: We had the "presence of mind" not to be snooping around obvious historic sensitive monuments. And oh sure, you knew not to waltz through the middle of balls games and over beach blankets. But beyond that, it never crossed our mind @ federal vs state vs county vs city, etc....
But this all began to change in the early 1980s. I remember it SPECIFICALLY. This was still pre-internet era of course. It seemed to begin (from what I recall anyhow) with stories in the Treasure magazines. A few editorials talking about a CW guy who got hassled or ticketed in some faraway place. Or some state's park thinking of enacting a "no md'ing" law. So readers were encouraged to write to such & such congressman.
So for the first time, there was this eeery "coming to a location near you" sort of mentality. Or "you too can be arrested, so you better ask permission first, inquire of laws, etc...". Also about this time, the "codes of ethics" began to contain the sentence: "know and obey all laws". And also about this time the FMDAC was formed (1984). And ALL their periodicals contained "scary stories" from faraway places.
Hence I trace it back to the early 1980s. Us hunters before that never trifled ourselves with such worries prior to that. Or if we'd read such things: Would have dismissed it as someone else's issue from elsewhere. Having nothing to do with our own area.
But BECAUSE of such stories in the printed materials we received, and the new line in the code of ethics which some people interpretted to mean "go ask can I?" there was all-of-the-sudden multiple people showing up at various public entities "seeking clarifications and permissions". And then guess what happens ? They get "no's" where it had never been an issue before !
I saw this evolve first hand. So years later, in the era of the internet and lightening fast info exchange (where such "bad news travels fast"), it just grew exponentially. The more "dire stories" that get circulated, well guess what? That just adds MORE fuel to the fire, and sends all-the-more people scurrying to ask "just to be safe". Thus leading to all the more "no's" to these "pressing questions" that elicit "safe answers". It was like a self-fulfilling vicious loop cycle !
I began to wonder if what I'd seen on local small-time scales, wasn't/hadn't happened on larger state-wide or nationwide scales. So I read closely all such "no's", to trace back to their origins. Getting passed the "go to" pat answers of "holes" or "cultural heritage", to trace back to "what put it on someone's plate to BEGIN WITH as a matter they had to address?" Oh sure, some are indeed truly holes or archies that bumped into an md'r and "decided to make a law". But I truly believe that a host of others are SIMPLY because md'rs THEMSELVES go swatting hornet's nests. Too timid to do anything unless an express written red carpet isn't rolled out for them.
This is from the perspective of before and after. 40 yrs. now, and past president of a club. JMHO.
