Did some digging and this is what it says about state parks and land....
State Park Metal Detecting Rule and Regulation Detail:
Metal detecting is not allowed in West Virginia State Parks and Forests. It is not illegal in and of itself but our regulations prohibit the disturbance or removal of any item found.
Park Regulations:
2.1.
No person shall cut, deface, destroy, or drive any object into any tree, shrub, rock, sign, building or other structure or object in a state park, state forest, or state wildlife management area. This subsection does not apply to the erection of temporary blinds or tree stands in state wildlife management areas.
2.2.
No person shall remove any man-made or natural object, material, substance, plant, animal or historical or archeological relic or artifact from a state park, state forest, or state wildlife management area, except those legally acquired through hunting and fishing in accordance with W. Va. Code §20-2-1 et seq. or upon proper authorization in writing by the Chief of Parks and Recreation, Division of Natural Resources.
nd.
WV-Dave, look closer at what you just cited. Notice that the opening statements. Notice that it is "commentary". Not law. The actual law is what that person goes on to cite
thereafter. RIGHT ? Apparently those opening comments (preceding the actual law) are some pencil-jockey's answer to an md'rs inquiry in the past.
Or put it like this: In my city, the parks are not a problem (so long as you're not being a nuisance of some sort). However, if I were to walk into my city hall right now and ask, I could probably find someone to say "no" like your quote. And ... sure, perhaps even put the "no" in a nice letter like that. And ... sure, reference something they feel applies from actual muni. code.
Ok then, you tell me: Does that commentary constitute "law" now ?
This has been the major problem of the FMDAC's state-by-state list. Of the dire sounding states (much like yours that you list above) sound like. To understand the evolution, you have to understand how the list CAME ABOUT :
Way back when, starting with a book in the mid 1980s called "Treasure laws of the United States" (by R.W. Doc Grim). He wanted to compile an alphabetic list of state-by-state laws, regarding their state parks. So, in genius fashion, he sent a xeroxed letter to all 50 states, head-of-parks in State capitols. Asking something to the effect of "What are the laws regarding the use of Metal Detectors in your state parks ?" And perhaps saying the answer was going into a book he was writing, etc...
When the 50 replies came back in, he merely put them in alphabetic through is book, RIGHT there on their own letterhead. So that , if hassled, you could just whip open the book and show a busy-body, eh ? Or conversely, save yourself time and embarrassment of a scram (or worse) if it wasn't allowed. Genius idea, right ?
This was in the pre-internet era, of course. Then travelers & RV'rs could just carry the handy reference book.
Yes some of the states were able to answer back with a chapter and verse "no" to point to (specifically saying "no metal detecting"). And others perhaps would say "no rules, have a ball". But in a bunch of others, an odd thing happened when the book made the rounds: States that had NEVER been a problem before, got odd-ball answers. With ... "no's" (or something dire-sounding like what you quote here). But if you read closely, it was usually something like your quote: Where they would refer you "deface" or "alter". Or "harvest / remove". Or cultural heritage. Or lost & found laws. Blah blah blah. Or sometimes even just "no", with no reference to any such actual rule. So you had old-timers scratching their heads saying "since when ??"
Do you see what happened ? It became a giant game of "no one cared TILL you asked" routine. Because, go figure: In any given state, there will *admittedly* be some of their state parks with a sensitive historic theme . Yet others where it was just never given a moment's thought. Well gee, put yourself in the shoes of the person trying to answer this ? And sure as heck, he must "pass this pressing issue" on to the desk of a state archie for approval eh ?
And oddly, despite some of those odd-ball answers (relying on ancillary verbiage) the old-timers never let it affect them, and ... still not a problem. (So long as you are not an utter nuisance , waltzing over blankets at an archie convention).
Hence I would separate "commentary" (someone answer at a desk, or in a letter) with actual law. As for the stuff that letter writer referred to in his answer/commentary (alter, remove, etc...), SO TOO is such language in EVERY single park, at EVERY governmental level. So that no numbskull goes to start removing picnic benches, harvesting sod and sand, "destroying" things, etc... All such verbiage that pre-dates detectors mind you. But given the pressing question , someone will look long and hard (images of geeks with shovels) and give the "safe answer".
You are certainly entitled to find some place else to hunt. That's fine. But watch close when you look up rules for somewhere else (a place with no "commentary"), and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that some form of the same language is present. If it necessarily means "no detecting", then .... either you're going to have to stick to private property, or choose a different hobby.
And any place you MIGHT find to tell you "yes", it will simply mean you didn't ask with the right combination of words, to give them the right mental picture. Use words like "remove", "take", "holes", "dig" and "indian bone", and you can find "no's" at every speck of public land in the entire USA.