1. Identify who manages the place
We determine which agency or land manager controls the park, beach, or public area. A statewide rule may not answer a city-park question, and a beach rule may not apply to the rest of a park.
2. Use official sources
We use laws, agency rules, permit pages, official maps, park policies, and official FAQs. Forums, social posts, hobby sites, and commercial articles may point to a lead, but they do not establish the published answer.
3. Match the rule to the exact place
We check the geographic scope, land manager, designated areas, seasons, permits, tools, digging rules, and found-item requirements. A property can follow a park-system rule while still having local limits.
4. State only what the source supports
We separate detector use from permission, digging, recovery, and keeping or reporting finds. When the official sources do not give a clear answer, the page says so.
5. Show the source and date
Every record links to the official source and shows when it was last checked. Rules, maps, closures, and posted conditions can change.
6. Handle updates
When an official source changes or cannot be checked, the affected answer may be marked as updating or cautionary. The existing URL stays available, and a substantive change receives a dated public update.
How AI is used
AI helps organize sources, compare details, and edit drafts. The publisher is responsible for the final page, and the official source remains the authority.