[meteorite-list] BLM and Meteorite Recovery Policy

Sun Dec 2 12:20:52 EST 2012

What a mess....we're living during the transformation of elected 
representative government by the people to a appointed "governing" that is 
closer to what our founders escaped than the freedom we grew up with.  How 
is it that "laws" can be made by decree and regulation? (The rhetorical 
question is simply answered...the encroachment of seemingly good intentions 
designed to "protect" us from ourselves will eventually ruin our freedom 
entirely.)

What a mess.

Let's consider the other side of the coin:  since we know that meteorites 
belong to the landowners upon which they fall, we should all own what we 
find since "we" own the public land, not a "government."   And thus by 
extension, (through any parallel of mining law, forestry, natural resource 
extraction etc.) this new decree of regulating a single aspect of what is 
found and developed on public land is an unequitable and selective 
application.
What a mess....

The largest question is private property rights:  Even with the 10lb/year 
limit imposed by the this BLM decree, it is unacceptable that a government 
entity has any jurisdiction over any subsequent exchange, monetary or 
otherwise.

Let's keep a sharp eye on it.  HUGE thanks to Nick for taking the 
initiative.
-Richard Montgomery

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Strope" <faq4q at yahoo.com>
To: "meteorite central" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2012 8:46 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] BLM and Meteorite Recovery Policy

> You sure hit the nail on the head, Adam.  Things sure have changed over 
> the last few years.
>
> Jim Strope
> 421 4th Street
> Glen Dale, WV. 26038
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Dec 2, 2012, at 11:00 AM, Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> It is interesting that the BLM has pulled the Antiquities Act out of a 
>> hat in this version.  We can thank Douglas Schmidt for this connection in 
>> the infamous paper he wrote years ago claiming meteorites are cultural 
>> objects. He went as far as quoting the Antiquities Act in his ramblings. 
>> Now educators and researchers have to obtain an Antiquities Act permit 
>> for meteorites. Really?
>>
>>
>> We can thank all the over-hype in the media and TV programs for the rest 
>> of the restrictions!  It looks like a few have ruined it for the rest of 
>> us!
>>
>> These rules affect everybody interested in the pursuit and it will not be 
>> long before our public lands are completely closed.  What a nice legacy 
>> our generation has left behind.  May we never forget the few responsible 
>> for the downfall of a great avocation.
>>
>>
>> Happy Hunting,
>>
>> Adam
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: "Nicholas Gessler, Ph.D." <nick.gessler at duke.edu>
>> To: meteorite-list <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, December 2, 2012 7:08 AM
>> Subject: [meteorite-list] BLM and Meteorite Recovery Policy
>>
>> Regarding the BLM's policy on "Collection of Meteorites on Public Land" 
>> posted at:
>> http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/regulations/Instruction_Memos_and_Bulletins/national_instruction/2012/IM_2012-182.html
>> I have written three emails of complaint to  Lucia Kuizon, National 
>> Paleontologist and lkuizon at blm.gov, and Frank Jenks, Natural Resources 
>> Specialist fjenks at blm.gov, buty as yet have not had the courtesy of a 
>> reply.
>>
>> At this time, I'm prepared to file a FOIA (Freedom of Information) 
>> request for all documentation leading up to the legislation posted on 
>> their website, to include minutes of all meetings, drafts, lists of 
>> committee members and individuals consulted, emails pertaining to the 
>> above, etc.
>>
>> Before I do so, has anyone else filed such a request?  Have any other 
>> list members received any "official" communications from the BLM 
>> regarding their policy?
>>
>> I note that the policy is set to expire in one year, which would imply 
>> that implementation of this policy is still in flux.  I am surprised how 
>> naive, unrealistic, self-contradictory and wrongheaded this legislation 
>> is and I think that we on the list, the Meteoritical Society and academic 
>> and scientific institutions should come together to oppose it.
>>
>> I have a full teaching and research schedule, so please forgive me if 
>> this all has been hashed out on the list before or if protests have 
>> already been filed.  If anyone else is moving forward on this, please get 
>> in touch with me.  Please email me directly if you have any inside 
>> information on this.  I'm pretty sure there was no consultation with 
>> those potentially affected by this legislation.  We need a website 
>> devoted to this struggle.  Perhaps I can contribute to that effort.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Nick
>>
>>
>> nick.gessler at duke.edu
>> http://isis.duke.edu/gessler
>> Research Associate (ISIS)
>> INFORMATION SCIENCE & INFORMATION STUDIES
>> Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
>>
>> Courses:
>> ARTIFICIAL LIFE, CULTURE & EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION
>>        Multiagent Complex Systems / ISIS-170, CompSci-107, 
>> VisMedStudies-172
>> ESPIONAGE, CRYPTOLOGY & PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS
>>        Networks of Trust, Secrecy & Deception / ISIS-235, CultAnth-226
>> METEORITES & SOLAR SYSTEM HISTORY
>>        History of & Simulations in the Science of Meteoritics / ISIS-230, 
>> EarthOceanSci-230
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