Desert Messenger

December 2, 2015 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 It is that time of year again. No, not holiday time. Prospecting time. Rockhounding time. Time to go outside, in the vast desert play- ground surrounding Quartzsite, and play. And there is no shortage of places to go to look for rocks, gold, and other treasures. In fact, there are many thousands of acres of public land stretching for miles in every direction from Quartzsite's epicenter. While there are count- less places to prospect within that ample bounty, it is also important to understand which places are off limits to prospectors. To begin with, it is beneficial to invest in a good topo map like a DeLorme At- las which describes not only the topog- raphy of the land, but also the usage boundaries. It is not legal to prospect on certain types of land, like military bases, Indian Reservations, State and National Parks, and other sorts of restricted areas. Private prop- erty is also typically not available for prospecting, unless permission from the property owner is secured. The advantage of having an Atlas or Gazetteer is that boundaries are clearly marked and sometimes highlighted in different colors so it is easy to see whether the area in question is public, private, or otherwise. Secondly, it is important to know By Jenn Jedidiah Free for RocksInMyHead™ 'Tis the season... what types of things can and cannot be collected from the areas you visit. In general, plants and animals are protected in most places. Many types of Native American artifacts are protected, and all artifacts from registered Native American sites and National Historic sites are illegal to collect. The best and safest way to know what areas and things are prohibited is to visit the local BLM field office and pick up a copy of their regulations and guides. Laws, land use, boundaries and designa- tions can, and do, change. The local field office will have the latest and most up to date information. Also, state parks, wildlife preserves, historic sites, and the like will typically post or provide regulations about collecting or prospecting at that specific location. Finally, be aware of registered claims belonging to oth- ers. According to the Mining Law of 1872, all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States are free and open to exploration and purchase. This law provides US citizens the opportunity to explore for, discover, and purchase the rights to certain valuable mineral deposits located on public lands. In order to do so, a person must file a mining claim. A Mining Claim is a parcel of land for which the claimant has asserted a right of possession and the right to develop and ex- tract a discovered, valuable mineral deposit. The three basic types of ATTENTION DIABETICS on Medicare Accredited by the Joint Commission 435274 CASA MEDICAL 480-941-9493 Please join CASA MEDICAL (A Participating Medicare Provider) Find Out How You Qualify for DIABETIC SHOES at No Cost to You! (In most cases) Also Receive a FREE PAIR of Diabetic Socks when you sign up for a Complimentary Diabetic Foot Assessment and Diabetic Shoes IN QUARTZSITE QUARTZSITE SENIOR CENTER 11:00 am - 12 noon - Dining Room IN BRENDA DESERT GOLD RV PARK 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Card Room BLACK ROCK RV PARK 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm - Annex Rec Room WAGON'S WEST 3:30 pm - 4:30 am - Rec Hall MONDAY, DECEMBER 7 TH ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS ™ SEE ROCKS ON PAGE 28 Mining Claim Marker

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