And I would add the following : Notice the wonderful article alludes to various other surrounding areas' parks that (and I quote) "allow" metal detecting . As if an express allowance were needed, and that silence on the subject isn't good enough to mean : Not prohibited. Eh ?
So guess what skittish newbies will do, after reading articles like that (when they get posted here, for newbies to click on and read). They read links like this, and think they need express allowances. Or that "they might be in sort of trouble". Or "everyone hates us and the sky is falling". Or "shucks I guess I better find out if where I'm at is *allowed* or not".
So guess what they'll do "just to make sure" ? YUP ! YOU GUESSED IT ! ; Start knocking on the doors of desk bound bureaucrats. Kiosk windows. Sending emails. Making calls. Asking "Can I ?" and "Is it allowed ?" And then presto : Others too will "need to address this pressing issue". And presto, it conjures up images of holes and/or something old, blah blah. AND PRESTO : Another law or rule is born.
Is anyone seeing the vicious self-fulfilling circle yet ? Laws and rules invented where, quite frankly, NO ONE EVER GAVE IT A MOMENT'S THOUGHT before we went in swatting hornets nests, raising red flags, groveling thinking we need express say-so, etc...
I certainly *get* the purpose of posting links like this. I mean, sure, it has to do with our hobby. But just saying that instead of it causing newbies to run to swat hornets nests, let it be a lesson to NOT swat hornets nests, and to be a little more discreet.
We can not escape the fact that, yes, our hobby has .... uh ....connotations. That you might be about to leave a hole. Or that you might find something old and cool. So if you're going to research for old sites in museums and historical societies, do so with a little bit of common sense. You don't start blabbing about md'ing (and silly stuff like saying you'll "donate to their collection cabinets", blah blah).
Be very careful that you're not talking to a purist archie type. I never mention md'ing, when snooping through museums and societies (and I volunteer docent at several of them for this very purpose !!) .
And if you're concerned about "allowed" or "silent on the subject" or "disallowed", etc.... You do NOT start asking "Can I ?". Instead you LOOK IT UP FOR YOURSELF if you are skittish. In this wonderful digital day & age, there's not a single city or county etc... that doesn't have their muni code, park rules, etc... on-line. Eg.: Dogs on leash, no fireworks, closes at sunset, etc..... If it doesn't say "no md'ing", THEN PRESTO : Not disallowed.
You do NOT need express allowance. No more so than you need allowance to fly frisbees.
Just use common sense, and don't be in the middle holes, in nice manicured turf, when busy bodies are watching. Avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments. Sure.