USFS Says ALL of San Gabriels Withdrawn from ALL Prospecting Activities!

[gollum]

I noticed in another thread where someone said that Angeles National Forest does not allow panning or sluicing any more. I hadn't seen nor heard anything about that, so I shot off an email to the Angeles National Forest Rangers, asking if this was true.

This was the reply:

We have the info posted on our website on the right side under Highlights. Here is the link:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjBNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?ss=110501&navtype=forestBean&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&cid=null&ttype=main&pname=Angeles%20National%20Forest%20-%20Home/

John D. Wagner, M.A.
Assistant Public Affairs Officer
Angeles National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
(626) 574-5206

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 10:52 AM
To: Wagner, John D -FS
Subject: WWW Mail: Prospecting

I was just told that all recreational gold panning and sluicing is now not allowed in Angeles NF. Is this true? If so, could you please reference a news release. Thanks in advance for your assistance. GMM

Following the link, here is what I got:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/angeles/home/?cid=stelprdb5356908

So, not only has suction dredging been outlawed in this state, the Angeles National Forest has outlawed gold panning and sluicing!

I am about done! Why don't they do something about the illegals setting up camps along the North Fork or all the graffiti on the rocks and trees?

Mike

 

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[Astrobouncer]

Check out the comments further down from PLP.

http://lariverflyfishing.com/2012/0...uction-dredge-mining-ok-on-san-gabriel-river/

 

[Edson]

You hit the nail on the head Astro.

“Lands in Angeles National Forest were withdrawn from mineral entry in 1928…to conserve water resources and to encourage reforestation of the watershed(Public Law No. 578, Sec. 4135 – 70th Congress); withdrawn lands within the wilderness study area, mainly on the west side,…” “The law does not prohibit prospecting and allows entry to proven ore deposits but effectively discourages complex exploration methods.” [From Geological Survey Bulletin 1506-E “Economic Appraisal, Cucamonga, Wilderness”, by Nicholas T. Zilka and Steven W. Schmauch, U.S. Bureau of Mines, page 87.]

We should all e-mail this to USFS to stop them from trying to enforce their "policy" and not the law.

It's also funny that the new CDFG dredging regs. permit dredging on the east fork of the San Gabriel River and they did all the studies.

Check out this article, very good read:

http://www.prlog.org/11708372-us-fo...o-prospectors-non-responsive-to-citizens.html


Edson

 

[Edson]

gollum post the e-mail address for this Wagner ranger dude so we can all e-mail him with the correct info about the law. Thanks Edson

 

[gollum]

It seems this has been in place by the USFS for some time now. The PLP have been trying to get the Rangers to write a citation for panning or sluicing so they can sue in court, but the USFS has not written anyone a ticket for it yet.

Mike

 

[gollum]

After hearing all the nightmare stories about the nutty rangers along the San Gabriel River, I wanted to go out there today. Just past Williams Camp, things looked a bit deserted. I was very disappointed.

I then went across the bridge to the parking lot and ran into no less than five people packing sluices, pans, and equipment in. They weren't all together either. They were mostly separate. That made me very happy!

FIGHT THE POWER!

Mike

 

[Edson]

How did it go Mike? I'm going on Thrusday . Too bad we couldn't have gone together, safety in numbers...

Edson

 

[gollum]

Hey Edson,

I didn't do any work today. Just getting over this damn flu virus thats been going around and don't want to start sloshing around in freezing water just yet. HAHAHA

Best - Mike

 

[russau]

dont waste your time emailing the USFS! theyll only get a big laugh out of it and then throw it into the trash can. bettter yet, email their boss in washington D.C. and his boss ole o himdarnself! and demand a asnswer to why your Constitutional rightsd are being discriminated by the USFS and theyre makeing up their own rules that is the Congresss job, not theirs! other wise your just spitin in the wind!

 

[soupfreak]

I hear ya about the North Fork. My friend went up there a few weeks ago with his MD and 3 gang morons walked right up to where he was at and started with the spray paint all over the rocks. He told me tonight he has no desire to go back in there.

Enforce non existent laws but do nothing about the destruction of the canyon by criminals...another shining example of government bureaucracy!!!

 

[Gramps43]

This is what happens with a socialist government, pass the buck and nonresponse to queries. The same thing happened to Odyssey Marine with the Spanish about the Black Swan treasure. OME tried their damnedist to engage the Spanish in the project and no one in the Spanish government wanted to take responsibility so OME went on without them. Now a slug of a judge has given the treasure to Spain which I think was Spains original plan, better to pay a shyster lawyer a couple 100K than pay OME a finders fee which would have been 50% at a minimum.

Gramps

 

[Nevada Coyote]

You might check out what kind of jurisdiction the USFS has, as pertaining to writing citations. Here in Nevada, Lyon County, the Sheriff has the jurisdiction to write citations, not the Forest Service. Though the land is under federal control, the Forest Service has only Proprietary jurisdiction. That is they own the land but have no police powers (writing citations).
Check it out for yourselves and act accordingly.
Nevada Coyote

 

[calisdad]

Where did you find that information Nevada Coyote? I've been looking and the info is not forthcoming. My local forest is the Stanislaus.
thanks-
C-dad

 

[mills84]

I couldn't really discern from those articles if sluicing/panning is currently allowed in the East Fork of the San Gabriel. I was planning on making my first trip out there in about a week and a half.

Have any of the TNET members been out there in the last few weeks? Has the Forrest Service given you any problems?

 

[goldjunkie]

I have personally faced off with rangers and fish and game, as recently as superbowl sunday. They told us no digging in or out of river. Also were gonna start ticketing next week. Next week? They've been saying that for the past 50 years!

We were digging the whole hour or so they were down by the river talking to people. As we left, we saw them hassling people near camp williams. Great group of friendly people up there.

When I drive up for the day, I'm constantly amazed by the random acts of kindness that occur. When it gets cold, someone has gloves, or a flashlight, or this/that.

I enjoy the scenic beauty and the hunt for gold. Although my back is totally blown out from working so hard, I got a nice picker to show for, some excercise, and a lot of solitude.

Oh, did I mention Bernie? I went to show him my picker as I was leaving, and when I pulled up next to him and said,"I found a nice piece." He could see the excitement on my face. He said,"Did you find a nugget?" I showed him my picker with great pride. Someone needs to make a documentary about the modern day prospectors along the east fork. Particularly bernie and a couple other old timers.

I've prospected with my pal Randy Seden a bit, and am also interested in the newhall, placerita, and texas canyon areas. I got some good gold out of one of Randy's secret spots, but got stuck in the mud during the last storm last weekend coming out of there. We were lucky to make it up the dirt road before it washed out to mud. Then, got stuck in a muddy dip. It was a heroic scene, as we somehow pushed my two wheel drive van out of the mud. I was able to back out and divert around the ditch, through a field. A risky move that proved to be successful. I can barely walk, my cars full of mud, and I'm a gold junkie!

I have been reading these boards for a bit. Glad to be here!

 

[goldjunkie]

I couldn't really discern from those articles if sluicing/panning is currently allowed in the East Fork of the San Gabriel. I was planning on making my first trip out there in about a week and a half.

Don't be scared to go. It's beautiful up there. Introduce yourself to the prospectors, and they may share some valuable info with you. Everyone's very nice up there.

 

[MrLee]

I am going up today. I usually go up every weekend and I have never had a ranger harass me, let alone seen one. There are lots of people up there on the weekends diggin away so it seems most people haven't been harassed as well. I imagine there will be hell if they try to enforce something so draconian.

I did pass a truck full of them a month or two ago at the narrows, but I was with my two kids so maybe they gave me a pass. We waved and they waved back. I had my sluice, buckets, etc. No problem.

Anyone else have stories??