In the case of the Texas State parks, we are requesting
access only to "Public Use" areas that are pre-disturbed. It should be
that the parks have already surveyed these areas before building restrooms, RV
parking slabs, firepits, beaches, parking areas and volley ball courts. If they
have not survey those areas yet allow them as "Public Use" areas, then
they have violated their own rules and regulations and should be subject to the
same enforcement as we the public are in such cases, however we know they will
never be.
Also, when this very same question is ask by the recreational committee of the
House or Senate, we also show them that since 1989, detectorist have not violated
that trust with the nationwide policy with the Army Corps of Engineers in all
this time. Add this to the fact that 38 states in America now allow some type of
metal detecting activity within their state parks, then realizing that those
state parks did and still have the same concerns of those states that do not
allow our hobby in their parks, it does have a strong voice to any committee. If
they can work with the detectorist, then why can't we. Obviously, if we police
our own, we can still never control every person with a detector, this is
realized amoung those establishing such policies on state parks. Hope this has
helped, Keith Wills