Charlie,

No "permits" needed for panning, sluicing, high banking, dry washing, metal detecting, keeping within limits ie: big equipments making considerable surface disturbance. That's when agencies want notices, plans of actions and other hoops to jump through.
Only "permits" needed is for dredging and the state aint selling them = no dredging.
I would strongly suggest research the area your interested in. Have good maps, compare what the MG says direction wise to a map or use a GPS and map.
Some claims are easy to find, some are not. Make sure your on a GPAA claim, some folks aint to keen on having you on their claim.
I have also been run off areas that were open to me but because I had not done the research I took their word, I left and didn't have to.

Get your son and other family members out there and find some color.
Pause, take time, look around at your surroundings, some beautiful areas.


Bill

Just a note about dredging in California...I was told by some knowledgeable people at the recent Gold Show in Las Vegas that in some northern counties, people are in fact dredging because the Sheriff as well as County Prosecutor are refusing to process the tickets being written by the Game and Fish people. They are sympathetic to the miners. So, the best rule to follow is know who the people are in office and where they stand. Sounds like a good case of civil disobedience. And that seems to be the norm being pushed by our DC government, so it can work in our cases too.