PRK-1.25 Recreational Metal Detecting in Parks

1. Purpose

Portland Parks and Recreation allows recreational metal detecting as an activity to promote the exploration of our parks. Metal detecting is a low surface impact activity involving probing small holes and occasionally removing found items like rock samples, minerals, nuggets, coins, jewelry, and incidental metal items having no historical value.

Unregulated use of metal detectors on park property creates tripping hazards, damages vegetation, and can become unsightly. By establishing clear prohibitions and standards for metal detecting, this policy is intended to ensure all park users, including metal detector operators, have ample recreational opportunities while mitigating the adverse impacts on other park uses, operations, and maintenance.

This policy does not cover the use of metal detecting as part of prospecting or searching for historic or prehistoric artifacts for commercial, personal, or research purposes. Those uses require a Non-Park Use Permit (NPUP) issued by Portland Parks & Recreation. More information on NPUP permits is available at https://www.portland.gov/parks/non-park-use-permits.

2. Rules

The City Administrator hereby implements the following policy regulating the use of metal detectors and probing in parks:

1. Locations where you can and cannot metal detect
   1. Metal detecting is allowed in all developed parks, except in:
      1. Parks with a name that includes “Natural Area”, “Wetlands”, “Wildlife Refuge” or “Nature Area”
      2. Cully Park
      3. Beggars Tick
      4. Cathedral Park
      5. South Waterfront Greenway
      6. Tanner Springs Park
      7. The Fields Park
      8. Willamette Park
      9. Planting beds and gardens
      10. Community Gardens
      11. Areas in parks closed to the public, including areas marked by sign to “stay on trail” or out of wetlands or other sensitive habitats
      12. PP&R managed golf courses
      13. Specialty gardens (e.g. Rose Gardens, Memory Gardens, Leach Botanical Garden)
      14. Designated sports fields, stadium fields, sport courts, and synthetic turf
      15. Dog off-leash areas
      16. Within two (2) feet of any visible surface roots
      17. Tree groves, as defined by City Code Title 11.
   2. Any other place marked by a sign prohibiting metal detecting.
2. How to metal detect in parks
   1. Only the plug removal method is allowed. The plug removal method is achieved by slicing the turf in a half-circle no greater than 6 inches in diameter and no deeper than 6 inches to hinge open the turf bed.
   2. Probing for items is limited to manual, non-powered tools.
   3. Acceptable tools include a T-Handle shovel, a hand trowel, a small pick, a screwdriver, or a small knife with a blade no larger than 6 inches in diameter and 6 inches in depth
   4. Do not use larger digging tools such as shovels, mattocks, or auger bits.
3. Care
   1. Minimize unnecessary soil disturbances and do not create a larger or deeper surface disturbance than is reasonable or necessary.
   2. Be aware that Parks keeps some metal equipment underground. Avoid damaging this equipment while probing.
   3. Do not probe or cut around sprinkler heads.
   4. Check the area desired for probing or cutting to avoid hitting any irrigation system, tree roots, or utilities that may lie close to the surface, such as sprinkler heads or valves, or conduit.
4. Restoration required
   1. All probed holes and plugs must be filled to return the surface to as close to pre-removal conditions as possible and to ground surface level.
   2. Do not cut, remove, or dig up vegetation or trees, including roots.
   3. All persons must protect the integrity of lawn turf, avoid diminishing the aesthetic quality or natural health of the surface being disturbed, avoid creating hazards for other park users, and avoid interference with other park activities.
5. Historic and cultural artifacts
   1. All federal, state and local laws pertaining to protecting and preserving antiquity, archeological, historic and cultural sites must be obeyed. These include but are not limited to the Antiquities Act of 1906 and the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979.
   2. If you find an item of possible historic or cultural significance, bones of any kind, or potentially hazardous waste, leave the item where you found it and contact Park Rangers.
   3. All articles found in parks having a value of over $250 should follow state laws on found property.
6. Interference with permitted events, maintenance
   1. Metal detecting is not permitted in areas where permitted events are occurring or where maintenance activity is underway.
7. Personal use only
   1. Metal detecting is allowed for personal recreational use only. Metal detectorists must be aware of and comply with Portland City Code Chapter 20.12, including but not limited to:
      1. 20.12.020 Soliciting For or Conducting Business - No person shall solicit for or conduct business involving metal detecting without a permit.
      2. 20.12.100 Vandalism; Protection of Park Property - Cutting of vegetation at a digging site, wading into fountains, failing to fill in a hole, or otherwise damaging Park property while metal detecting is prohibited. Be aware that Parks may have metal equipment underground that could be damaged by probing.

Related Policies, Procedures & Forms

PRK 1.18 Geocaching in Portland Parks