Hey Joshua,

Welcome to the club, adventures and experience's are ahead of you, be sure to enjoy them when possible
Things your children will remember, maybe forever

Sorry, I'm of no help with info on the SGR, I'm in NorCal

I would like to say, please be VERY careful out on the rivers with your young ones
Rivers are running high, fast and cold
It only takes a split second

Get them boys out there
If you ever plan a trip north, I can give you some pointers

Bill

Hey Josh

I had the same question and called the forestry office there. The person told me that panning has NOT been allowed there since the 1800's. I think you may want to give them a call and see if you get a different answer. Over the years, I have seen hundreds of people seeking ol' yeller at SGR.

Great place to take the family.

John

Thanks Bill and John,

I've gone up there with my oldest son a few times in the past (2015 and before) and never had an issue. But since the supposed status of the land has/will change I don't want to disappoint the kiddo's. I'll take your advice and give the forestry office a call.

I'll definitely watch the river and the regional weather (don't want to be downstream of a flash flood) with the little ones around. I would definitely love to go back up to NorCal.

Thanks for the info and support,

Josh

Ok guys....you want the real story about the East Fork ...dont be trusting some of the activist Forestry service people.....check out this link





www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/341727-sgr-east-fork-findings.html







treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/341727-sgr-east-fork-findings.html       and you will have your answers.

read the post by Aurabbit79er .....about 'the Man" and he fully sums up that YOU can go and pan on that river.

check the date of the posting, that is now a national monument, maybe Trump will change that but at this time that is what it is. If they want to let you pan there ok but it is reserved land at this time verses open public land. Just take note and do some homework.

I have not had any issues up at East Fork this year. Only rules that I've been told by the locals is no gear powered by motor. Panning and sluicing is just fine. Be sure to pick up an adventure pass (parking pass) from ranger station, the cafe up there or any of the gas stations at the bottom of the mountain. Water levels are not too too bad up there but some of the drops have strong current. Most of its knee deep or less, plenty of places for kiddos to play especially for the first mile to mile and half in from parking lot. Good luck!

Ok I am getting confused....Walter....is it closed or not?

Thanks again everyone. We're going to head up this Friday (Heaton flats, campground) and hope for the best. My boys are asking me every day how long until we go to the river. If you are up there on Friday and see a couple with 3 boys that's probably us.

Josh

The S.G.National Monument area was removed from mineral entry, Wording in controlling document;  All Federal lands and interests in lands within the boundaries of the monument are hereby appropriated and withdrawn from all forms of entry, location, selection, sale, leasing, or other disposition under the public land or other Federal laws, including location, entry, and patent under the mining laws, and from disposition under all laws relating to mineral and geothermal leasing, other than by exchange that furthers the protective purposes of the monument, or disposition of materials under the Materials Act of 1947 in a manner that is consistent with the proper care and management of the objects protected by this proclamation.
The establishment of this monument is subject to valid existing rights.
This does not mean that they can not allow you to pan or sluice but it is up to them. Typically the monument management will see extraction as a removal of material from the monument and will use that as an excuse to stop all panning and so on. Looks like the Forest Service is allowing panning or by some information online that they want it to be a monument but want to continue to manage it as a National Forest and have brought up some supporting information to show why. This would be so that they could maintain control and they may or may not choose to continue to let people pan or maybe even sluice on the river. I can only advise to be cautious and realize that it is officially out of mineral entry which is same as being out from under the 1872 mining law and all the rights that came with it.
These monuments as well as most all that were put in from 1996 are being reviewed by Trump to see if there should be changes or deletions of monuments. See land rights this forum. They are taking comments from persons that are interested in changing them.

yes as the post earlier implied that it was closed for commercial prospecting but as a recreational panning was not an issue. I like the approach the poster advised.

Just happened to run into this: This is not specific to Los Angeles National Forest areas.  I think you-all will find this interesting.


In Tulare County v. Bush, 185 F. Supp. 2d 18 (D.D.C. 2001), the court held that a Presidential proclamation designating a national forest as a national monument pursuant to the Antiquities Act does not withdraw the land from the national forest system and does not violate the National Forest Management Act.

In the case of lands under the administration of any department or agency other than the Department of the Interior, the Secretary of the Interior may make, modify, and revoke withdrawals only with the consent of the head of the department or agency concerned, except in the case of emergency withdrawals[x].   https://publiclands.uslegal.com/governmental-authority-and-management/withdrawal-or-reservation-of-public-lands/

My legalese is not so great but, if it doesn't withdraw it from the National forest system then it should be ok.

When an area is declared a monument by proclamation the area becomes a reserved area and is no longer under National Forest rule although the National Forest or Bureau of Land Management may become the caretakers of it. The existing management plan (ramp) may stay in act until monument regs take over.  By the way location on the East Fork was removed under the 1928 water shed act, but that seems to have allowed non location mineral extraction mainly in the waterway. The monument act usually and I think I saw it in this act when it was done removed it from mineral entry. The presiding entity of an area until all the regulation are set up for a monument many  times will continue to operate status quo. It is possible that they will allow panning, sluicing and other in stream mining afterwards but other areas have not in the past that I know of.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for the help.  We took the chance and headed up there last Friday and had a great time.  My boys were happy as clams .  We didn't find much but that's due to my inexperience.  Some nice guys working nearby came over and showed the boys a nugget they found (they were working there for a while) and now the boys are asking when we can go again.  We did find something interesting (see picture) I'm thinking it's just fools gold (pyrite) but not sure since it doesn't look like it (definitely not mica).  Maybe silver? I don't have a silver test but will pick one up and see.

 

 

It looks like platinum

Great job mom and dad, keep it up

Nothing goes together like young boys, rocks and water
Looks like a fun time was had by all
Don't worry if the boys dont want to mine, they will someday
Plant the seeds today and watch em go

Bill

The pictures tell it all as they all had fun.