Permitted Pursuits

Editorial Standards

Last updated: October 2026

Permitted Pursuits is a regulatory reference site, not a tour operator, equipment retailer, or opinion publisher. Every guide is held to the same standard: accurate, sourced, plain-language, and free of commercial influence.

What We Cover

We publish the rules and permit requirements for outdoor hobbies — metal detecting, foraging, rockhounding, fossil hunting, gold panning, beachcombing and magnet fishing — as set by federal land management agencies (BLM, USFS, NPS, USFWS), state agencies, and county and city governments. Our beginner Tips articles discuss gear, sometimes naming specific models where that helps a newcomer choose; no manufacturer or retailer pays for a mention, and we use no affiliate links.

Primary Source Requirement

Every factual claim in our guides must trace to a primary source: a federal regulation (e.g. 43 CFR, 36 CFR), a BLM or USFS land-use rule, an NPS permit page, a state parks policy document, or a county ordinance. Secondary sources (hobbyist forums, manufacturer websites, opinion articles) are not acceptable as the sole basis for a regulatory claim.

Source citations appear at the end of every article, listing the agency name and document or rule reference. Where outbound hyperlinks are provided, they are manually verified against the claim before publication.

Tone and Language Standards

  • Factual, not advisory: We write "BLM regulations prohibit removal of…" — not "You should avoid…"
  • Plain language: Guides target a clear, accessible reading level. Tables and bullet points over dense prose where rules are structured data.
  • No promotional language: No affiliate links, no paid placements, no CTAs that resemble advertising. Gear advice in Tips articles is editorial and unpaid.
  • Site-level specificity: National or state-level rules are a starting point. Where possible, we confirm how those rules apply at the specific site covered.

Article Review Process

  1. Research: Identify the applicable federal regulation, agency rule, or permit requirement for the hobby and location.
  2. Drafting: Article written following a consistent structure — verdict first, then conditions, permit requirements, penalties, and sources.
  3. Internal review: Second editorial check for factual accuracy, source quality, and tone compliance.
  4. Publication: Article published with "Last verified" date and source citations.
  5. Monitoring: Federal rulemaking notices and agency updates trigger re-review. High-traffic articles are re-verified at minimum annually.

Corrections Policy

Factual errors are corrected promptly. When a correction changes a material fact — a permit requirement, a restricted area boundary, a penalty — the article is updated, the "Last verified" date is refreshed, and the correction is logged in our public corrections register with what was wrong, what changed and the source. The corrected page links to its entry.

Independence

Permitted Pursuits does not accept sponsored articles, paid placements, or payments for favorable coverage. Advertising may appear on the site through third-party ad networks; advertisers have no influence over editorial content.

Contact

Editorial questions, including suggestions for corrections or new site coverage, can be sent to hello@permittedpursuits.com.