Filth Within the Maine National Forest

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2012 10:32AM by John Sassi.

Hanaford plastic bags strewn through out the site, along with BBQ chip rappers and Nestea bottles blanketing a 20ft area.

That sounds to me like bear debris. And I don't know of many folks who will willingly abandon their tools, screens, tarps, buckets, etc. unless they have a good reason to - like say, a big hungry bear suddenly shows up.

Just something to consider maybe.

One way or another, the rangers should probably be alerted.

My initial reaction to John's post is that "two wrongs don't make a right".

I see you have deleted your original post.

If someone was working a mineralized zone and left their tools in the pocket, isn't that the universal sign for mineral collectors to stay away from the find?

Sounds like to me you stole their supplies and now may be having second thoughts about your actions.

I know another poster mentioned a bear showing up as a reason for the condition of the area, let me add the possibility of a medical emergency.

If a collecting buddy on mine had a medical emergency, the last thing I would care about are my collecting supplies.

I would come back later to clean up.

The only sane reaction is to be a Good Samaritan and clean up the mess. The tools can be left at a public place such as a police station, NOT ever at a Ranger Station. I would never report the abandonment at a Forest Station as the tiny brains of the administrators would only make them close the area rather than do anything meaningful.

Best Wishes, Van King

First of all I would love to know where the Maine National Forest is? I have lived in Maine for 37 years, collected for 25 years and have never heard of it. Now we do have the White Mt National Forest that is mostly in New Hampshire but some is in Maine.
As for filth yes we do have some slobs. When I collect at my favorite locality, Lord Hill I always bring a small bag to clean up after the slobs. My last trip I brought home some nice specimens, a couple beer cans, water bottles and a couple candy wrappers. No big mess but I try to do my part to keep the site open.
So I missed the original post so how about some specifics.

The original post appears to have been deleted, but I too am wondering exactly where the "Maine National Forest" is.

I thiought that the "Tools in the Vug" collector law was a King County, Washington State invention. Maybe it started in Maine and traveled the World.

Might be a Strahler tradition as well.

I just checked my somewhat outdated map of Federal Property in the U.S..

There are about seven square miles of New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest which lightly poke into Maine a bit North of the midpoint with the Maine / New Hamphire border.

Most federal lands are out here in the West, and controlled by East Coasters.

Bart

Sounds to me like the Deer Hill Amethyst Location area set aside and marked for fee collecting. There are two areas designated for digging/collecting. The West area was first worked in 1966-67 and the East area was first worked in 2000 then the "Amethyst Rush" started and resulted in closure of entire area to collecting minerals by the forest service for 2-3 years.Some over zealous collectors had begun up rooting large oak trees and digging to depths of 10-12 feet. The forest serice decided later to allow limited collecting for daily fee. The area is entirely within the Maine section of the White Mountain National Forest. I have not been in that area for several years but there are mineral collectors there on a daily basis still.

Cliff



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2012 03:50PM by Clifford Trebilcock.

First off, I appreciate the enormous response to Maine mineral collecting. Secondly, I do not regret my actions for removal of the tools, b/c some of the tools stashed originally belonged to me. Finally, the abundance of trash was not a days worth of debri (a bear scare, or a medical emergency), but an onslaught of numerous days of collecting and carelessness towards the environment. i have no problem with collectors scoring and making magnificent finds in public collecting areas ( I encourage it). I do have a problem with litter bugs and people that disrespect the forest and could possibly cause a closer to a wonderful collecting area.
My deletion of my original post was b/c of the second comment was geared towards contacting the local officials. There is so much BS included within the red tape, that I dont want to be a part of it. I figured, since we are all adults here, that we could resolve this problem within a forum. If this is not the case, then I will cease to make my opinions known.