[Rockhounds] PRPA now public law

[Jay Bates]

Kris,

I agree with you that there are some public servants that deserve credit 
for working and helping rock-hounds. I am aware of the Forest service 
going back and bulldozing down tree that had been undermined by 
rock-hounds at Davis Creek in northern California.  I am sure they could 
have used the excuse of the trees being undermined by some idiot 
rock-hounds to close off the area. I could also cite other examples of 
cooperation such as occurred at the Hauser Beds. Also we as a group, 
need to value some of things that you have mentioned and to stem some of 
our greed. We also need to keep vigilant to make our needs and desires 
known. Jay

Kris Rowe wrote:
> Jay, thanks for the info. I rely on those who know more to educate me. Hmmm
> ... seems I'm always doing that. and yes,, I have seen the campaign and
> participated in email and phone work, too. However, I see no reason not to
> thank those who've put more work in than I have.
> I do understand your frustration with the pet wood regs, and am for a more
> reasonable reg set there. However, I see *any* protection of the status quo
> as a victory, considering the frenetic pace of "change" demanded by
> politicians. When it comes to freedom restricting legislation, I'm with the
> Founding Fathers. I'm against it.
>
> Be Well!
>                Kris
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 5:18 PM, Jay Bates <jaybates at rcn.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> "Nothing in the Omnibus bill changes the regs on pet wood. S. 684
>> (including S. 682 amendment) deals with the collection of vertebrate fossils
>> on public lands. The amendment by Sen Coburn saves our bacon from being
>> fried for picking up other, insignificant fossil material. Pet wood is still
>> 25 lbs per day, plus one piece, not to exceed 250 lbs per year, FROM PUBLIC
>> LANDS."  It was not friendly public servants that got the language of the
>> law changed to maintain the status quo, but pressure brought to bear by
>> rock-hounding groups and an amendment by Senator Coburn.
>>
>> Kris Rowe wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Tim, thanks for making this post that makes the purpose, intent & word of
>>> the PRPA crystal clear. In the past, I've been one of those who've
>>> obviously
>>> been misinformed on this issue, and looked as it as simply another Federal
>>> power grab, designed to exclude rockhounds from collecting on public
>>> lands.
>>>
>>> It's heartening to see that, rather than restricting the obviously large
>>> impact that amateurs have had on paleontology, the professionals &
>>> educators
>>> are actively working to make that impact sustainable. The nightmare
>>> scenario
>>> of fossils eroding out of their protecting formations only to be left upon
>>> the surface and lost forever to the elements, will hopefully never become
>>> reality.
>>> In addition, thanks for posting the link to the SVP, since the flip side
>>> of
>>> that nightmare is that collectors will be made totally ineffective, not by
>>> the statute itself, but by an uncaring and disinterested bureaucracy that
>>> simply shrugs its shoulders and says "It's not my job" when informed of a
>>> potential find.
>>>
>>> I'm hopeful that this might signal a friendlier attitude toward
>>> conservationist collectors, both commercial and amateur. We all know of
>>> and
>>> have visited deposits that have been savaged, and then closed after
>>>  misuse
>>> and abuse, most often by non-rockhounds. We've also seen how an uncaring
>>> and
>>> territorial bureaucracy has closed an area, rather than seeking out
>>> private
>>> partners, societies & clubs to assist in maintaining and insuring proper
>>> conservation.
>>>
>>> Thankfully, in many areas, the "uncaring" bureaucrat has given way to
>>> proactive public servants who understand that conservationist policies,
>>> rather than ex-clusive "environmentalism", are the best way to insure that
>>> the public learns to care about sustainability. As a "pebble-pup," I was
>>> trained by my mother to respect the land and its inhabitants, and to treat
>>> it as I wish to be treated.
>>>
>>> I commend the BLM, Park Service, Geological Survey and other thoughtful
>>> public servants for their pro earth science stance. Such areas as Crystal
>>> Park, The Oregon Sunstone area, Chunky Gal and Garnet Hill are just a few
>>> examples of this great attitude, and insure that we rockhounds are allowed
>>> to develop the same conservationist attitudes.
>>>
>>> Again, thanks!
>>>                          Kris
>>>
>>> On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 7:15 AM, Tim <nospam at orerockon.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> Forgive me if this is a repeat post, but I didn't see it come back to me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From: SVP Headquarters [mailto:svp at vertpaleo.mmsend.com] On Behalf Of
>>>> SVP
>>>> Headquarters
>>>> Subject: SVP: PRPA now public law
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
>>> multipart/alternative
>>>  text/plain (text body -- kept)
>>>  text/html
>>> ---
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> --
>> _______________________________________________
>> Rockhounds at drizzle Mailing List
>> Subscription Services:
>> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds
>> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy:
>> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html
>>
>>     
>
>
> --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
> multipart/alternative
>   text/plain (text body -- kept)
>   text/html
> ---
>