Closed area on Ark.? Options

[traddoerr]

I was just talking to a gentleman about the Ark. river North of Beuna vista and they said that is has been closed by the BLM for any prospecting from the GPAA claims down to jump rock, has any one else heard this as well, I haven't had the chance to call the local office yet to confirm. I have fished spots along that stretch but was going to try a little prospecting there this year as well.

[Coalbunny]

Welllllll....... Actually guys, "recreational" is just a slang term for something that has literally been happening for centuries.

Very rarely will you find someone that makes their sole income, or even the majority of it, from prospecting. Yeah they are out there, but they are rare.

Even in the 1800's when Leadville wasn't even born yet, the Tabor's came to Oro and set up a store. Horace Tabor made his fortune off of mining, yet he himself rarely did anything more than grubstake or buy claims. Many people were in the same spot- there is a certain amount of entertainment in prospecting, but generally not enough to warrant doing it as a full time job. Thus they were cowboys, ranchers, farmers, doctors, lawyers, Ladies of the Evening, store owners, barkeeps, piano players, sheriffs and bank robbers. Almost everyone back then, and now, has a formal mode of occupation.

So when the government says they ban recreational prospecting, they are banning us in reenacting our heritage, our lineage, the work of our forefathers.

Me, I am engaged in studies that require me to pan. I find gold, yes, but it has been documented for decades through the USFS and BLM as well as WYGS and a few colleges that my studies pertain to sediments and the actions that create their depositional structure. So not finding gold doesn't break my heart. Finding gold, yeah I like it. Big wow. And I have warned rangers in the past do not interfere with my studies. That actually drags in a myriad of state and federal laws, and I have gone to the mat before on those, and won. I won then and I'll win again.

[OklaPony]

Oklapony, as long as the area is not with drawn from mineral rights and there are no claims by all means pan, sluice what ever ya want just don't say the fraze "recreational" with anything that has to do with prospecting/mining, they can't do anything then.

And report any one who harrasses you to the local sheriff's dept. Got to keep the pressure on them to let them know that they aren't completely in charge. Best of luck on finding some color and big fish !

Well, I'm at least fairly confident in the fishing department since I've got a good track record and am fortunate enough to have fantastic water available in which to dip my flies. My dirt washing skills, however, are not quite so refined. That, coupled with the slow pace that us visiting flatlanders should maintain in order to preserve our health, means I definitely won't be moving any mountains but I do have a couple of areas in mind that may well provide the opportunity for both endeavors.

Welllllll....... Actually guys, "recreational" is just a slang term for something that has literally been happening for centuries.

Very rarely will you find someone that makes their sole income, or even the majority of it, from prospecting. Yeah they are out there, but they are rare.

Even in the 1800's when Leadville wasn't even born yet, the Tabor's came to Oro and set up a store. Horace Tabor made his fortune off of mining, yet he himself rarely did anything more than grubstake or buy claims. Many people were in the same spot- there is a certain amount of entertainment in prospecting, but generally not enough to warrant doing it as a full time job. Thus they were cowboys, ranchers, farmers, doctors, lawyers, Ladies of the Evening, store owners, barkeeps, piano players, sheriffs and bank robbers. Almost everyone back then, and now, has a formal mode of occupation.

So when the government says they ban recreational prospecting, they are banning us in reenacting our heritage, our lineage, the work of our forefathers.

Me, I am engaged in studies that require me to pan. I find gold, yes, but it has been documented for decades through the USFS and BLM as well as WYGS and a few colleges that my studies pertain to sediments and the actions that create their depositional structure. So not finding gold doesn't break my heart. Finding gold, yeah I like it. Big wow. And I have warned rangers in the past do not interfere with my studies. That actually drags in a myriad of state and federal laws, and I have gone to the mat before on those, and won. I won then and I'll win again.

Interesting field of study you got there, CB. Is this connected with environmental impact and/or water quality studies, perhaps? Or just simply the physics of what settles where and why it does so?