Metal Detecting in Illinois National Forest Lands,,

[les]

Hi Folks: I Copied & pasted this Article, thought Some of you Quiet Illinois Folks Here might like to read it!

Metal Detectors
The Use of Metal Detectors in the National Forest

Metal detectors on National Forest and other public lands are generally used to look for lost or abandoned items of monetary, historical or collectable value. However, on National Forest lands their use is governed by strict regulations in conformance with federal legislation designed to protect our nation’s heritage as well as other resources. They can be used for searching for treasure trove, locating historical features and artifacts, prospecting for minerals, and searching for coins and lost metal objects.


The term TREASURE TROVE includes money, unmounted gems, precious metal coins, plate, or bullion that has been deliberately hidden with the intention of recovering it later. The search for buried treasure can involve methods that are potentially damaging to forest resources, thus a special-use permit from the Forest Service is required. Each permit request is thoroughly evaluated and permits may not be granted in each case.


ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: The use of metal detectors to locate objects of historical or archaeological value is permitted in accordance with the provisions of the Antiquities Act of 1906, the Archaeological Resource Protection Act of 1979, and the Secretary of Agriculture’s Regulations regarding protection of heritage resources. This activity requires a special-use permit. Permits are available only for legitimate research activities conducted by qualified individuals. Unauthorized use of metal detectors in the search for and collection of historic and archaeological artifacts is a violation of existing regulations.


MINERAL DEPOSITS: The use of a metal detector to locate mineral deposits such as gold and silver on National Forest System lands is considered prospecting. In the State of Illinois permits are required for prospecting. For more information on the legal requirements of prospecting permits contact the Forest Geologist.


RECENT COINS/METAL OBJECTS: Searching for coins of recent vintage and small objects having no historical value, as a recreational pursuit, using a hand held metal detector, does not require a special-use permit as long as the use of the equipment is confined to areas which do not possess historic or prehistoric resources. In some areas this can be difficult to determine. On the Shawnee National Forest, metal detector enthusiasts are free to explore developed recreation areas such as Garden of the Gods, Pounds Hollow, and Lake Glendale, but are excluded from areas known historical significance such as the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is the location of one of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates and was a gathering place for the Anna-Jonesboro community prior to that date. As such there are artifacts embedded in the ground that may relate to that event.


Please…Help us Protect Our Common Heritage!!

 

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[rcasi44]

As such there are artifacts embedded in the ground that may relate to that event.

They may be there, they may relate to the event, and since we can't detect for them, they will rust to nothing.

This has always bothered me. If they were looking for them that's OK. But if they aren't going to look for them, why can't we. I'm not just referring to the Lincoln site. I read articles where detectorists are frowned on for finding CW relics on private property. The fact is the authorities are not looking for them. It seems in the near future the ground will reclaim these relics. I'm all for saving our heritage but then save it. Don't just say no one can hunt for them. What good do the artifacts do in the ground? Rob

 

[les]

Hey Rob: I Agree The national Forest land Holds alot, This is One Place I feel that We should be able to Hunt for Artifacts & Treasure in Peace, There are hundreds of Ancient Home Sites, battle sites Etc. in our National Forests, Alot Of items will just go deeper & deeper into the ground until it is undetectable or rusted away. it's strange how the Goverment will go in & Clear Cut a whole section of Huge Beautiful Forest away & they don't want someone probing in the ground for a coin or relic.

Les

 

[bomber]

AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rcasi44]

Here’s an example. This link will get you to a list Illinois State Parks where metal detecting is permitted.
http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/programs/DayUse/metaldetect.htm

As you can see Kankakee is listed as a detecting park, but when I got there the ranger said NO. I showed him the DNR page and my permit for White Pines State park and he still said NO.

OK, check this: “Several prehistoric sites are documented within Kankakee River State Park. The park is within a region used by Illini and Miami Indians at the time of the first European contact in the 1670s and 1680s.” I don’t want to hunt indian sites. So did he say here’s a permit but you can’t hunt the indian area? No.

Here's another: “A major industry in the area in the 1890s was the Custer Bowery Amusement Park, which frequently drew crowds from Chicago. The park was gone by the 1920s, but by then the river had become a popular spot for summer cottages.” Could I hunt this area of the park, NO.

I was in the camp grounds with my fifth wheel. Could I hunt this area, NO.

So because there are some Indian sites in some remote part of the park the whole park is off limits. The amusement park relics can’t be hunted, the playgrounds can't be hunted, the picnic area area can't be hunted,and the new campground finds can’t be hunted. Are they working the indian sites, NO. So it seems to me that all these finds will soon be gone. Rob

 

[les]

Hi Guys: Rob that is terrible, there were indians everywhere ,not in just one spot, It seems that (some) of the park officals just don't want to get out of thier office in Order to do anything.If they just say No, then you are gone & they are back to the Easy day they had planned, If the Dnr Says it's ok to detect, How can the Ranger refuse to let a person hunt? I believe I would make a phone call,, I done that myself once,,Here is what happened to me.,,,kinda off subject but oh well,,
I Flintknap as a hobby ,im decent at it ,been doing it maybe five years now, I knap mostly Colored Carrara Glass Slabs,but one day I went to a Creek to look for some Flint,believe me there aren't alot of Creeks that have good Flint!! I called a friend got his permission to walk the Creek, But Oops I stepped over the boundry & into national Forest Property,, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye,looked over,it was a Ranger, he called me over to his truck, tried to say I was hunting points, I was not hunting points ,,I was looking for raw Flint Cobbles, he told me that it was against the law to collect rock on national forest land,, I was fumming by then, I had dumped my Stuff out, wasted time walking 100 yrds to his truck, then I left,,But,, When I got home I made a phone call to the main Office,
(The Rules State!!) I looked this up!! a Person can Collect rock in national forest Land,but not in a protected area,Natural area,restricted area,,You can Collect rock by bag or Pouch for personal use only & you can take a reasonable amount, This Fixed things where I was hunting for Rock,, The Person in Charge of the Area told me I could collect one five gallon bucket full at a time,,if I could find that much!!<G>. Sometimes it can help to go around the person telling you NO!!! Other times nothing seems to work!! this is the aggervating part of Metal Detecting trying to Gain permission in some area's.

 

[roundhat]

it's a shame that so much will be left in the ground... some relics will disappear completly and some interesting things will never be brought to light again..

 

[morbiusandneo]

it's a shame that so much will be left in the ground... some relics will disappear completly and some interesting things will never be brought to light again..

I saw somewhere a link that was for a metal-detector light attachment. It attached to the rod part of the detector above the coil. BAM!! Instant nite-time detector! I could cover a lot of ground from say, 1AM-4AM, at a park where the ranger says "NO!", but the DNR says "okay, but with a permit"!! I would make sure that I had a witness that would testify that the ranger refused the permit. Then, IF I got caught at nite, the issue would be forced in a court and ON RECORD!! stvn.

 

[roundhat]

if dnr says yes and you have a permit you are golden... the idnr law enforcement guy is wrong...I would bring that error up to someone over his head in Springfield. but some parks have areas that are off limits period.... your permit is only good for certain areas... Fort Massac in Massac county is entirely off limits. as is the sight of the Lincoln- Douglas debate in Anna-Jonesboro area.. would sur hate to get busted hunting any of those places... Bye bye detector....not good.

 

[treasurefiend]

don't do it, you will get ticketed