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

[Pmodreski at aol.com]

I had read the whole text of the proposed bill too,
 
"Here's clause 644:
(2) CASUAL COLLECTING EXCEPTION- The Secretary may  allow casual collecting
without a permit on Federal land controlled or  administered by the Bureau of
Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and  the Forest Service, where
such collection is consistent with the laws  governing the management of
those Federal land and this subtitle."

And I agree that this does keep the right for the public to "casually  
collect" fossils; so to a large degree, I do think that the big concern that the  
AFMS/ALA and others has been promoting, is a "straw man".  However, I would  
have been happier if it didn't say "The Secretary MAY allow...", because that  
could be interpreted to mean that no collecting is allowed unless the Secretary  
of Interior himself specifically issues an order that collecting will be  
permitted in some area.  I think we'd all agree that it should rather  simply 
say, "Casual collecting with a permit... IS allowed, where such  collection is 
consistent with the law... etc.
 
 
 
And as Alan said,

"(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.)"
As a citizen, I certainly agree with that; I don't see any reason that  
wilderness areas need to be off limits to mineral or fossil collecting--just as  
they are not off limits to hunting (they are not, are they?).
 
And I'll second this from Alan too,
 
"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."

and I also agree that
 
"It doesn't matter anyway. Every National Forest District Manager, and  
some NF's have several districts, has the authority to prohibit ANY  
activity they don't want to happen in their district. That includes  
rockhounding and fossil collecting."
 
just ain't right, and I would certainly like to see personal  (noncommercial) 
mineral and fossil collecting legitimatized by law for all  public lands that 
are not in a protected Park or Monument status.   Now that is what I wish the 
rockhound public lands organizations would keep  working on!
 
Pete

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