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Fenn said \"numerous\" people saw the treasure before he hid it, including New York Times best-selling writer Douglas Preston. Fenn told KOAT he is not impatient that people haven't found it.

\"PHOTO:
VisitNewMexico/YouTube
PHOTO: Forrest Fenn, pictured here in a video from the New Mexico Tourism Department
>

\"I wanted the monetary value to be a consideration for those who are looking for it, but mostly my motive was to get kids off the couch and away from their texting machines and out in the mountains,\" Fenn told KOAT.

Fenn left nine clues in a poem that was included in his book, he said.

\"PHOTO:
VisitNewMexico/YouTube
PHOTO: Forrest Fenn hid a chest of treasure, similar to the one pictured in this video
>

\"Somebody could find it tomorrow and it may not be found for a thousand years. I'm looking at the big picture. A lot of people who are searching for the treasure don't see it the same way I do. I would love if someone found it tomorrow but if nobody found it for a hundred years, that's okay with me too.\"

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