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good evening Mrs/Ms Hoerger,

I have been trying to find some information for recreational prospecting in Maryland and the laws governing its equipment that can or cant be used as well as its policies. now I have gone thru the natural resource police website, dcnr, epa , and several other government agency websites and several dozen private/group websites. and unfortunately I cant not find information on this topic that is reliable or it just is not there. if you could be so kind could you please point me into the right direction to try to receive the correct information on this issue; it would be greatly appreciated. for there is too many misnomers out there and I would like to get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak to make sure that there would be no problem enjoying this hobby, the outdoors, and time together spent with the friendship that goes along with this. for you will find many of us are great stewards of the areas we visit, for not only do we go prospecting but we also hunt, fish, go camping, etc. in the same areas, and many of us live in this same area or have friends that do.

sincerely,

Paul J Conroy Sr 172 David Lane Somerset,P.A. 15501 814-443-1193 PaulConroy68@yahoo.com

Mr. Conroy,

I have received your inquiry and will determine who within DNR would be the best contact for the information you want.  I will be back in touch with you when I have identified the appropriate point of contact.

LT Colonel Robert K. (Ken) Ziegler, Jr.

Acting Superintendent

Maryland Natural Resources Police

580 Taylor Ave.

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-260-8887 Office

443-510-3069 Cell

Good Morning Mr. Conroy,

I am unaware if the State of Maryland has laws governing this activity whether it be on private or State-owned lands.  I will check with my colleagues at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to see if this activity is permitted on public lands, and if so, what restrictions, if any exist.

I hope to get this information to you as soon as I can.  Stay tuned.  

Take care!

Lisa

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Hoerger

Regulations and Mapping Coordinator

Critical Area Commission for the

  Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

1804 West Street, Suite 100

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 260-3478

Mr. Conroy,

So far I have contacted three State agencies for information about recreational prospecting.  The Maryland Department of the Environment (Mining Division), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Parks), and the Maryland Geological Survey.

The Maryland Park Service has responded with the following information:

Recreational prospecting is not allowed. Most of "collecting of things" requires a permit. A Minimal Impact Use Agreement is used as a "permit" to allow for scientific research. Exceptions to the permit requirement are very minor things like kids picking blackberries or collecting leaves/acorns for personal use. They would work directly with the Park Manager for authorization.

As soon as I receive feedback from the other agencies, I will pass along that information.  

In the meantime, you may be interested in looking at the Maryland Geological Survey's website,  http://www.mgs.md.gov/.  It includes a wealth of information about Maryland's geological resources.

Lisa 

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Hoerger

Regulations and Mapping Coordinator

Critical Area Commission for the

  Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

1804 West Street, Suite 100

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 260-3478

Mr.  Conroy,

 

Here is the response from the Maryland  Geological Survey. 

 

Dear Ms. Hoerger:

 

Maryland law prohibits the collection, destruction, and/or disturbance of all natural resourcesr (flora, fauna, rocks, minerals, soils, caves, archeological/historical sites and artifacts) on State owned lands: State parks, protected environmental areas, and wildlife refuges  There are additional State laws pertaining to caves and archeological sites in the State.  There are no State laws governing recreational collecting on privately owned lands other than trespassing laws.  Arrangements to collect on private property are made between the landowner and the collector.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

D.W. Shelton

MGS

(410) 554-5505

dale.shelton@maryland.gov

 

 

 

On Mon, Jan 4, 2016 at 12:08 PM, Lisa Hoerger -DNR-<lisa.hoerger@maryland.gov> wrote:

Dale,

 

I received an email inquiry from a customer about recreational prospecting in Maryland.

 

Do you know if there are any laws or regulations about this activity on State lands?  

 

Any other information you have would be great.

 

Thank you!

 

Lisa

Sincerely,

 

Lisa A. Hoerger

Regulations and Mapping Coordinator

Critical Area Commission for the

  Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

1804 West Street, Suite 100

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 260-3478

Hello Mr. Conroy,

I have received your inquiry about prospecting in Maryland’s State Parks and am answering on behalf of Lt. Col. Robert Ziegler of the Natural Resources Police. The information regarding your request can be found on the following link

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Publiclands/Pages/MetalDetecting.aspx

Beyond the regulatory piece of the answer listed in the link above, the spirit of the law is that these regulations are intended to help us protect and preserve the natural resources of the State Parks, so that future generations will find places that reflect nature in its most original and intact form. 

The policy covers the use of metal detectors in our parks. Some parks do allow metal detecting on site (beach parks) during specific seasons and hours. Each State Park will address the specific use of metal detectors on their websites. The following link will provide you with a map of all Maryland State Parks.

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/Publiclands/Pages/parkmap.aspx

 

We hope that you can continue to enjoy our Parks in the New Year and please let me know if I can answer any more of your questions. Thank you for taking the time to check on our policy. 

 

Regards,

Ranger Alison Woodfield

Maryland Park Service

580 Taylor Avenue E-3

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

410-260-8167

Lisa/Mr. Conroy-

You would not need any approvals from the MDE Mining Program but you would need permission from the property owner (in a State Park that would be DNR).  If the disturbance is minimal that should cover you otherwise you might need a waterway construction permit though the MDE Wetlands and waterways Program but from your description that seems unlikely.  

Thank you for your inquiry and happy prospecting!

On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 8:44 AM, Lisa Hoerger -DNR- <lisa.hoerger@maryland.gov> wrote:

Molly,

Here is the response from Mr. Conroy concerning what he wants to prospect.  I'm not sure if MDE's regulations cover this type as opposed to more commercial operations.  I did correspond with DNR as far as what is permitted in the parks and they said this activity is not allowed, although DNR does give our special use permits on a case by case basis for educational purposes (school children collected acorns, leaves, etc.)

If you know of any information that is relevant to this activity, let me know.

Thank you very much!

Lisa

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Hoerger

Regulations and Mapping Coordinator

Critical Area Commission for the

  Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

1804 West Street, Suite 100

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 260-3478

Thank you!  I am waiting on a response from the Maryland Department of the Environment.  Once we determine if your type of activity is regulated then I can point you in the right direction.

Lisa

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Hoerger

Regulations and Mapping Coordinator

Critical Area Commission for the

  Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

1804 West Street, Suite 100

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 260-3478

Thank you Molly for your quick response.

Mr. Conroy, 

If you still wish to pursue State lands, you can find contact information on the Department of Natural Resources website at

http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/default.aspx

Lisa

Sincerely,

Lisa A. Hoerger

Regulations and Mapping Coordinator

Critical Area Commission for the

  Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

1804 West Street, Suite 100

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 260-3478