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is picking up natural rocks and stuff illegal?

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Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Originally posted by: cherrytwist
Originally posted by: mattocs
I know that state parks here in Pennsylvania don't allow you to take anything you find. Its weird, I can catch a fish at a state lake and keep it, but I cannot keep a couple rocks I find while hiking next to the lake?

I'd still go for it. I mean, if you take a couple rocks, its not big deal. If you load a truck full of them, it will become a big deal.
Click to expand...

You've got a fishing permit, right?
Click to expand...

How many people actually have fishing permits/licences?

As long as you're not filling the bed of a pickup or taking boulders, take what you want.

That said, taking the size of rocks you want to take to decorate your yard would probably be illegal.
Click to expand...

I have one. Freshwater and saltwater!
 
Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Originally posted by: cherrytwist
Originally posted by: mattocs
I know that state parks here in Pennsylvania don't allow you to take anything you find. Its weird, I can catch a fish at a state lake and keep it, but I cannot keep a couple rocks I find while hiking next to the lake?

I'd still go for it. I mean, if you take a couple rocks, its not big deal. If you load a truck full of them, it will become a big deal.
Click to expand...

You've got a fishing permit, right?
Click to expand...

How many people actually have fishing permits/licences?

As long as you're not filling the bed of a pickup or taking boulders, take what you want.

That said, taking the size of rocks you want to take to decorate your yard would probably be illegal.
Click to expand...

We went clamming recently, got all the right fishing permits and stuff. On the way home, we got pulled over for no real reason and had our fishing permit checked against what we had collected. IIRC, penalties can be pretty stiff for poaching.
 
Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Originally posted by: cherrytwist
Originally posted by: mattocs
I know that state parks here in Pennsylvania don't allow you to take anything you find. Its weird, I can catch a fish at a state lake and keep it, but I cannot keep a couple rocks I find while hiking next to the lake?

I'd still go for it. I mean, if you take a couple rocks, its not big deal. If you load a truck full of them, it will become a big deal.
Click to expand...

You've got a fishing permit, right?
Click to expand...

How many people actually have fishing permits/licences?

As long as you're not filling the bed of a pickup or taking boulders, take what you want.

That said, taking the size of rocks you want to take to decorate your yard would probably be illegal.
Click to expand...

you'll get fined if you don't have one and get caught.
 
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Originally posted by: cherrytwist
Originally posted by: mattocs
I know that state parks here in Pennsylvania don't allow you to take anything you find. Its weird, I can catch a fish at a state lake and keep it, but I cannot keep a couple rocks I find while hiking next to the lake?

I'd still go for it. I mean, if you take a couple rocks, its not big deal. If you load a truck full of them, it will become a big deal.
Click to expand...

You've got a fishing permit, right?
Click to expand...

How many people actually have fishing permits/licences?

As long as you're not filling the bed of a pickup or taking boulders, take what you want.

That said, taking the size of rocks you want to take to decorate your yard would probably be illegal.
Click to expand...

you'll get fined if you don't have one and get caught.
Click to expand...

Yeah I buy my fishing license every year. Couple years ago I decided to go fishing one time before buying them and sure enough I got caught. Including court costs it was gonna cost $150 total. Luckily I got my fishing license before the date and the judge threw it out. They can even take your fishing equipment if they want to.
 
Originally posted by: txrandom
Originally posted by: PottedMeat
Originally posted by: cherrytwist
Originally posted by: mattocs
I know that state parks here in Pennsylvania don't allow you to take anything you find. Its weird, I can catch a fish at a state lake and keep it, but I cannot keep a couple rocks I find while hiking next to the lake?

I'd still go for it. I mean, if you take a couple rocks, its not big deal. If you load a truck full of them, it will become a big deal.
Click to expand...

You've got a fishing permit, right?
Click to expand...

How many people actually have fishing permits/licences?

As long as you're not filling the bed of a pickup or taking boulders, take what you want.

That said, taking the size of rocks you want to take to decorate your yard would probably be illegal.
Click to expand...

I have one. Freshwater and saltwater!
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

In RI, no license is required for saltwater. Whether you're resident or not.

My father was an avid outdoorsman. One of the things he always taught me was to have proper hunting and fishing permits. Not because you may get caught, but because it is the right thing to do.

It's unfortunate a concept such as this is so foreign to people today.

Take the freakin' rock, OP. Stick it in your yard. It'll look great next to your "other stuff" (I can only imagine what that would be) you take from the lake. I'm sure it'll look wonderful :disgust:
 
I'd guess that overall it wouldn't be exactly legal. However, unless it's a protected area or private property, it wouldn't be "illegal".

Then again, this is just 'wrong'. A kid/rock collector would take a few cause they're unique. This almost sounds like you're a step away from taking a truck out there and foraging/pillaging the area. Just go to a Home Depot store...
 
As far as the rocks go, stop in and ask a park ranger... they'd know a lot better than any bozo posting here. I know it can vary from park to park, too. For example: At Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas you can keep what you find, but in the fossil beds of the Uintah's in Utah, you can't keep the fossils you find.
 
Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Originally posted by: Beau
Originally posted by: DaWhim
is it illegal to go to the woods and cut my own christmas tree?
Click to expand...

Yes.

If it's a state or federal park, yes. You have to get a tree-cutting license.
Click to expand...

How are you going to get a license to cut down trees in a national park?
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They're granted for christmas tree harvesting in November, and you're limited to one tree per permit. (Uintah National Forest faq #11)
 
I gone to road cuts plenty of times and picked up loose rocks and brought them home for landscaping. We used to pull up to them when I was a geology major in college with 16-20 students with rock hammers and stuff and collect rocks. As long as it is not a park I doubt anyone will much care.
 
A guy at work was arrested for taking rocks from along side of a dirt road. The arresting officers didn't actually see him take them, but found them when they pulled him over after someone reported that they saw somebody digging up the rocks. He was facing a $15,000 fine. The court threw it out because they couldn't prove they were rocks from the road. The state/county/city owns the road and therefore the rocks.

BTW-this guy had lined a rushing stream that went through his front yard and built a stone bridge, that would accommodate a car, over the stream with these rocks. It was nice looking.

 
i think it's apparent none of us on atot really know the answer. I guess the safest thing to do is not to take any rocks--until you've heard from a reliable authority on the matter in person.
 
Is this "lake" a jewelry store and these "rocks" diamonds/emeralds? If yes, then it is illegal unless you're paying for them.

Who owns the lake and the area around it? How much are you taking? If it's lie 10-20 rocks, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Unless these rocks are the size of semi-truck tires and are there for decorative purposes, then it might be not safe to take them.
 
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/

"Collecting Rocks
Federal law prohibits collecting in National Parks. Please leave rocks where you find them so that others may enjoy the intact geologic story. "


http://www.desertusa.com/jtree/jtmain.html
"Natural Resources

Because the park resources belong to all, no one may collect or disturb any animal, plant, rock, artifact or fossil within park boundaries."

Those apply to ALL National Parks, with a few exceptions, where you are permitted to collect rocks, but MOST parks prohibit it unless you have a permit for research collecting.

As has been stated here numerous times, it all depends on where you are collecting...if it's just a local lake, and not in a park, you're probably ok to take a few rocks, but you SHOULD check with whatever authority that's in charge of the area where you plan to collect.




 
Originally posted by: joshsquall
It's illegal, regardless of whether you take 1 rock or 1 ton.
Click to expand...

Once again it depends on where and how much. There are guidelines put out by the Bureau of Land Management regarding the collection of rocks on BLM controlled land for non-commercial use. In most cases a permit is not required.
 
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