Thanks Vernon, that letter on USDA letterhead concerning collecting in National Forests is invaluable. Nothing beats written instructions from the oversight agency. You did address various "opinions" from the uninformed, including from the agency employees that should know; I too have run into this, and it cost me a good chunk of money, following instructions from just such people. Why we allow government employees to voice "opinion" or take action, and not actually knowing what they're talking about, is beyond me, but as you pointed out it's all too common.
In some cases, "authorities" make rules based on their own feelings. Generally, because they can get away with it. This promulgates fake information particularly on the internet because anecdotal events & information get repeated, without vetting, and are taken up as truth. This forum went round-and-round on CITES with so many "opinions" from those who couldn't be bothered to read CITES.
I'm going to pick on my friend:
eurytides wrote: ↑Tue Nov 12, 2024 12:14 am
It’s like golf clubs. You can be denied entrance if you don’t follow a dress code for example.
He doesn't belong to a golf club. He never has. I don't know this, but I'll put money on it. So he's repeating what he's been told by somebody, or "conventional wisdom." He's generalizing, which is not applicable to all golf clubs. And dress code is determined also if you arrive in a Kia or an AMG Mercedes. And on and on.
I could have sworn there was a thread on collecting in National Parks and National Forests, but I could not find it. I wonder if one of the mods might split this off as a new topic, since the posted letter is priceless, and the discussion is smattered all over various threads.