Federal Land Fossils belong to all?

[rstephen@cswnet.com (Roger A. Stephenson)]

Greetings all,

I have a problem understanding the latest information regarding the
museum association comming down on the self (dis)serving side of this
paleontological resource. Am I to believe that these institutions
think there are not near enough ammonites, trilobites, and other
fossils of this carde for an individual to be allowed to collect a few
from the property of the people? Am I to further believe that a
disarticulated hadrosaur tooth, laying on the surface, is worth more
in a drawer, for eternity, than proudly displayed in someones home? Is
there enough room available to store what awaits in jackets to be
preped? Are they, the museum folks, willing to give up the thousands
of sets of eyes that do indirect work for them by roaming these fossil
holding formations? Can the museums also accept the responsibility of
fossils erroding away to dust if this becomes the policy?

Where is the voice of outrage and protest? Have we become so much the
whore to these institutions that the power of them silences the needed
and seemingly required scream? Will we, ie experienced and caring
amatuers, eventually be outcast form paleontology if it involves
unsupervised combing of our own federal land? Is my idea of licensing
amatuers so hard to enact?  Who will be our champion in this test of
rights?

Something must be done to make the paleontological community aware
that we amatuers have a voice in this. A problem unaddressed never
goes away.  Legislation is not the answer to the question, and without
a broad spectrum of input no effective or enforceable solution will
occur. If the fear of for-profit collectors has clouded the issue let
me part the smokescreen.  This is the same thinking that proved the
prohibition of booze was foolish.  Making dino bones, or any other
fossil, illlegal to collect from federal land will inspire the already
unethical and dangerous to take the chance because the market prices
will rise in response. The same power and influence that grant money
wields is generated in the channels of these unethical collectors and
buyers. The poteintal for serious scientific loss appears with this
head-in-the-sand idea that law enforcement can stop abuse. Unless
museums buy the very fossils they outlaw the collectiom of.

Sorry to rant on so, I'm shocked and amazed,

Roger A. Stephenson
(aka Joe Friday, Lightwaves, and others)