Prospecting code of ethics Options

[fenixsmom]

Hiya folks! I was wondering about ethical recovery. I was pondering originally how many buckets of concentrate is ethical to bring home to work. That led to the pondering of ethics while prospecting in general. I believe this is a very important subject to touch on because it effects us all. The more damage we do to our rivers, lands etc., the more negatively others will see us. Although to some this may seem like common sense, there are those that don't give a flying you know what. I am a firm believer in preserving the land as close to as pristine as I found it. (Minus a little concentrate). So is there any advice you can give to those of us that are just starting out?

[fenixsmom]

Thank you for a link Mrs. CP! I shall definitely look at it! I highly doubt ill be taking a dump truck full of material home to work through. I suppose my main concern is since ill be mainly using public land, I don't want to greedily take a whole bunch of dirt home at the end of my stay to play with until I go back. I don't want to degrade the area either. Maybe my worries are for naught, but I figure it's best to ask rather than be shunned for taking more than my fair share.
that being said, when I am on site for the day I plan to work down my buckets and recover when I'm done. But I may want to take some home to play with later also. As long as it's acceptable.

[Caveman]

Thank you for a link Mrs. CP! I shall definitely look at it! I highly doubt ill be taking a dump truck full of material home to work through. I suppose my main concern is since ill be mainly using public land, I don't want to greedily take a whole bunch of dirt home at the end of my stay to play with until I go back. I don't want to degrade the area either. Maybe my worries are for naught, but I figure it's best to ask rather than be shunned for taking more than my fair share.
that being said, when I am on site for the day I plan to work down my buckets and recover when I'm done. But I may want to take some home to play with later also. As long as it's acceptable.

Fenixsmom, Welcome!
It is acceptable as long as you fill the hole where the dirt came from - there is usually enough loose material around to do that. Taking dirt home to "play" with is a good way
to practice panning, test new methods in a "controlled" environment (back porch, heated garage, or other type of work area) is common practice among a few people (I'm one,
and I know of several others), but it is horribly inefficient if you are doing this a the main method of finding anything. Also, after you carry just one bucket from the area you
are working, you usually will not be carrying a second, or third, so ethically, you are ok. By the way, Jeffco Clear Creek open space prohibits this, by the way - all "dirt" (not
concentrate) must remain. Check with the local parks & open space people to see what the regs are for a given area. There is also the problem of disposal - I had a garden to
do this. If it is your own claim - you can take home as much as you like, but remember, to stay within the law, you must repair the damage when you are "finished" - that
means, you must haul back/replace the dirt you took, replant trees, grass, etc., repair erosion caused by your activities, and so on. The reason finished is in quotation marks
is because that is sort of open ended, as it depends on when you are actually done with it (which could be years). Now, if you are taking pick-up loads, etc., from an open
area (or rec area) as what has happened at Cache Creek, then ethically you have a problem - a bucket or three is not significant, so I do not see a problem unless it is
specifically prohibited.

Just a note - I don't take buckets home very often - just when I have a new idea to try and don't have the time to take a day at the creek. And usually just one - those darn
things are HEAVY!

[swizz]

And usually just one - those darn
things are HEAVY!

Awesome advice all around Scott! You're right about HEAVY too. I try to set my sluice as close to my digs as possible. Even if I have to move buckets more than 10ft from my dig area to the sluice I'm putting out some good sweat. Last thing I would wanna do at the end of the day would be to carry full buckets out... along with all the equip and stuff. It's just too much work.
Confession though: I've been snowmobiling in and out of the ranch (4 miles each way). Along that trail I've been seeing southern exposed dirt showing on the ancient benches alongside the snowmobile trail. I just might put my pick, shovel, and a 5gal bucket on the Bearcat one of these days for a winter bucket of rough material. Probably a fruitless endeavor but my mind wants some dirt to process this far into winter... getting the Jones. I don't really have time for that but I always stare at it when I'm going by. Hell, I still need to sit down and do cleanup on all of the concentrates I got from the ranch last summer. Maybe I'll do that while watching the superbowl this year.