Letter: Metal Detector Lovers

Metal Detector Lovers

Raphael Cosme
St Augustine, FL

Dear Editor:

Commissioners for the City of St Augustine are considering an amendment of the archaeological preservation ordinance that affects metal detector lovers everywhere.

The ordinance 2012-04 “An ordinance of the City of St Augustine, Florida amending section 6-7 of the code of the City of St Augustine to specify that the City Manager or City Archaeologist must approve in writing any use of a probe, metal detector or any the device to search for or excavate fir artifacts on public property”.

This addition to the archaeological preservation ordinance could be as a result of the recent events of metal detecting at the Matanzas river, like the Caravaca cross found at the site by one person who refused to release the location for the benefit of the St Augustine history.

There are over 650,000 metal detecting members in the nation.

This is nothing new; the Florida Metal Detecting Law is governed by the state laws of antiquities, established by the federal Archaeological Resources Preservation Act of 1979.

While metal detecting itself is not outlawed in any sense, the main thing metal detectors users must keep in mind is that particular areas may be protected from those hobbyist who consider themselves “treasure hunters”.