[Rockhounds] FW: FOSSIL HUNTING HOBBY IN DANGERFw: PublicLandUsage Bills

[Alan Silverstein]

Good postings -- thanks.

> This person believed that their job was to protect the resources in
> our public lands.

It's time for me to trot out a concept I heard years ago, and really
like.  It goes like this:

- national parks = preservation
- other public lands = conservation

Of course parks mean monuments, etc, all the other NPS categories.

If someone wants to preserve, not just conserve, the lands in their
stewardship, methinks they should work for the Park Service, not the
USFS or BLM, etc...  Otherwise they are doing more harm than good.

Wilderness areas are now treated even more protectively than national
parks.  Ergo, while I support SUWA, and am for SOME more wilderness
areas where appropriate, I do not support their entire 8+ million acre
proposal.  Not every remaining piece of remaining de facto wilderness
area should be sequestered -- but some of them should.  Just my opinion.

(Actually if I had my way, non-motorized casual hobby collecting should
be allowed in wilderness areas, just not park areas.  That goes for most
state and county parks too.)

Alan Silverstein