i was sent this information by the president of my local GPAA chapter in augusta,GA. i didn't even know anything about this. talk about keeping the public informed.

Tony Hall has done a lot of work with the gold panning moratorium in the National Forrest. Tony did not recieve a reply back from the Forrest Service in reguards to the request for information using the Freedom of Information Act. Below is an e-mail that Tony sent out.

This is an update about what I know.

I talked with US Congressman Aid, Martin Wattenbarger today.

He say's this is going to be a complicated issue. The Forest Service did send a letter to the Office of General Council, requesting a total ban on recreational gold mining and Rock Hounding.

Its based on a recent case of theft in the forest. If any of you are not aware of this case that has been resolved, here is a brief account.

Persons were coming into forest and digging up starlight crystal rocks. Its not a valuable rock, but it is pretty. These persons were digging up large areas of this rock and hauling it out. The forest service finally caught them. It went to trial, they all were found guilty, citations issued.

Afterwards, the forest supervisor, Mr. George Bain and others in his office decided that they do not want any recreational mineral activities taking place in the forest.

I did forward to many of you a link to the 2004 document adopted by the forest service concerning the Chatt-Oconee Forest. Here it is again if you missed it.
http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/200401-plan/index.htm

good info thanks

i called the sumter national forrest long cane ranger district today asking about a gold panning permit. they said just come by the office in edgefield, SC and fill one out. so it must be an isolated issue. the Chatt-Oconee national forrest is in georgia but is in the same R9 district of the sumter national forrest. sounds like a ranger with a grudge against gold panning in his district. but, i don't see how they can change the rules without any public input.

i just got this update...............
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Thanks for update. I'll be sure to forward this to GA. GPAA Chapter. I do appreciate yours and others persistent efforts to have moratorium lifted. Our efforts were heard. My Congressman's Aid, told me in our last conversation, that in his conversations with officials at the Department of Interior and Office of General Council, this action by Forest Service, had created a stir and a flurry of official contacts by congressman's offices on behalf of their constituents.

If you would not mind my me tagging along with you sometime into Chattahoochee Forest prospecting, let me know. I managed to accumulate some really good info from USGS resources concerning Geochemical reconnaissance of the northeastern part of Dahlonega gold belt, Northeast Georgia, the Greenville Quadrangle, South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina.

IM a relative beginner at actual prospecting, but have been trying to educate myself on the history of gold mining, and the types of rocks associated with gold producing areas.

I like to "snipe" search for gold in streams. I have a good wet suite for cold water. I did this out in Wyoming and enjoyed the heck out of it. I do think there is still gold to be found this way in those streams in GA.