Posted 04/13/2007 12:06 pm
SC, public parks and schoolyards are public property. Most states have some version of archeology and historic places preservation regulations which place some sort of restrictions on digging. This may also apply to "surface digs" for items merely laying on the ground. On any public property and private property, obtain permission from the administrator or landowner first. Do not assume that if there is not a sign prohibiting something posted on a piece of land that an activity is not regulated. It is the legal responsibility of individuals to ensure they know the regulations before commencing an activity. In many locations, a simple no-fee permit may be issued upon request.
As a former US National Park Service biologist-ranger, I found hundreds of people who thought something was OK (camping, campfires, swimming, off-road travel, pothunting, metal detecting, hunting) merely because they did not see a sign in front of them regulating such activity or because they said they saw others doing it and thought it was OK. In most instances, a simple warning sufficed; in others, they paid up to $500 to become educated.
As a former US National Park Service biologist-ranger, I found hundreds of people who thought something was OK (camping, campfires, swimming, off-road travel, pothunting, metal detecting, hunting) merely because they did not see a sign in front of them regulating such activity or because they said they saw others doing it and thought it was OK. In most instances, a simple warning sufficed; in others, they paid up to $500 to become educated.
