Posted by Eric Frasco on July 31, 2001 at 16:27:36:
In Reply to: Thanks for the info. posted by msblucow on July 31, 2001 at 15:33:56:
Actually, jade would have to be more valuable than gold to make it commercially viable enough to attract that much attention.
Jade Cove is at the bottom of a cliff off HWY 1, way above Morro Bay. It is a treacherous climb even without scuba gear. Not for the timid. And that portion of the coastline does not have very many good diving days, further restricting access.
One guy did go through the hassle of hauling several dozen inner tubes, rigging, and the scuba tanks to fill the tubes, and then managed to wrestle a huge jade boulder to shore which weighed several hundered pounds (I think it may have even been 500 lbs., if I can find the article I will post a copy).
DFG got wind of it and showed up at the guys house (where he was proudly displaying it in his front yard, if I remember correctly), and confiscated the boulder. After several rounds in the courts, DFG grudgingly compensated the man for his "efforts" (but not for the appraised value of the jade boulder). The guy never got the boulder back, which apparently is proudly displayed by DFG at some remote location as an example of the largest single piece of jade ever recovered - a true mineralogical treasure from the state of California. And DFG would never have gotten it for display if there hadn't been an industrious individual to go out and get it.
DFG showed him, alright. That's what happens to folks that "steal" from the state.
-Eric-