Aurora, NC

[FSL123]

I will be traveling to North Carolina in the next couple of weeks and will be within striking distance of Aurora, NC.  Aside from across from the museum are there any other public access points to spoils piles from the Lee Creek mine that people are willing to divulge.  I figure with the Aurora, NC fossil fair having just wrapped up that maybe there are some other access piles in the vicinity.  My primary interest is screening some of the material to take with me to search for mircos.  What I want to avoid is filling a five gallon bucket to then only be visited by the police.  I don't get to this area very often so I am not at all familiar with the etiquette or regulations to be aware of.  Any insight that anyone would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.  Feel free to PM me if that's easier.

[RickNC]

There are sometimes piles of the reject material around the county. The museum should have plenty but I've heard they now restrict the size of the sifter you can use and don't allow you to take any home. 

[sixgill pete]

That is correct. You now can use no bigger than a 12 by 12 softer and can only take some home with permission from the museum director.

[FSL123]

Ok - I figured there were restrictions.  Thanks for the information!

[RickNC]

2 hours ago, FSL123 said:

Ok - I figured there were restrictions.  Thanks for the information!

 

Didn't used to be restrictions like that. I can understand trying to prevent commercial collectors from exploiting those piles but used to be able to take a bucket home without an issue. 

[FSL123]

On ‎6‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 7:29 PM, sixgill pete said:

That is correct. You now can use no bigger than a 12 by 12 softer and can only take some home with permission from the museum director.

Sent you a PM.  Hope I am not imposing.  Thanks!

[Boneheadz]

I really hope they repeal these restrictions, maybe just tell people to stop when they deem them being ridiculous. One bucket is not gonna hurt anything, but ya a truck full is getting a little crazy. Just like a big sifter isn't gonna hurt anything, but a 8'x4' powered sifting table might. I talked to plenty of people at the Festival that were upset with the new rules and i hope it wasn't enough for them to not come back next year.