Jump to content

Permits By State Or Country?


zdufran

Recommended Posts

I understand that collection of invertebrate fossils is much less restricted than vertebrates. I've seen some sites mention that you must have a permit to collect vertebrate fossils. Is this true? Do you apply state by state, or through the federal government?

Zach

New to fossils, but not to nature

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would say that it will vary from site to site. When I get a permit from the Corp of Army Engineers that permit is only good at one site despite it being from them. It would be best just to contact the site manager and inquire with them. Follow all laws as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does vary considerably by State and site. Here's a simple summary for your State from the Oklahoma Geological Survey:

post-6208-0-16238800-1406118895_thumb.jpg

Roger

I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who [Rudyard Kipling]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To get a permit to collect vertebrate fossils on Federal land in the USA, you need to have an approved repository where your fossils will go after you find them. This means no personal collecting... at all. You generally have to have a PhD at the end of your name and a certain research or education project in mind when applying for these permits. The different states have different rules.

(Ryan's post above is news to me... that you can get a permit to collect on Corps of Engineer lands).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To get a permit to collect vertebrate fossils on Federal land in the USA, you need to have an approved repository where your fossils will go after you find them. This means no personal collecting... at all. You generally have to have a PhD at the end of your name and a certain research or education project in mind when applying for these permits. The different states have different rules.

(Ryan's post above is news to me... that you can get a permit to collect on Corps of Engineer lands).

I'm probably misunderstanding you, jpc. When you say federal land, are you meaning public land like along the side of highways and interstates? If that were the case, all of the individuals who collect shark teeth are doing so illegally.

Zach

New to fossils, but not to nature

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To get a permit to collect vertebrate fossils on Federal land in the USA, you need to have an approved repository where your fossils will go after you find them. This means no personal collecting... at all. You generally have to have a PhD at the end of your name and a certain research or education project in mind when applying for these permits. The different states have different rules.

(Ryan's post above is news to me... that you can get a permit to collect on Corps of Engineer lands).

I'm not sure if that is all of their lands. I just know about the one here in Waco. I go down to their office and sign a piece of paper and then head off to the area. Matter of fact, I'm going either tomorrow morning or Friday morning or both.

Again call the office that manages the area and inquire first. This is not a case of it's better to ask for forgiveness then ask for permission.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm probably misunderstanding you, jpc. When you say federal land, are you meaning public land like along the side of highways and interstates? If that were the case, all of the individuals who collect shark teeth are doing so illegally.

I don't know if it's the case in all states but I understand that shark teeth are exempted from the "no vertebrates" rules in some states (Florida, for example).

Roger

I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who [Rudyard Kipling]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm probably misunderstanding you, jpc. When you say federal land, are you meaning public land like along the side of highways and interstates? If that were the case, all of the individuals who collect shark teeth are doing so illegally.

Non-emergency stopping on an interstate is forbidden regardless of who may own the right of way, and causing rock to detach from the wall of any roadcut is apt to draw attention from law enforcement officers because it is a potential public hazard.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Summary of general advice from BLM (Bureau of Land Management):

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy handbook 8270-1 (chapter IV), requires that applicants for a paleontological resource use permit (for collecting or disturbing fossil resources on BLM-administered lands) must have received formal education and professional instruction in a field of paleontology equivalent to a Graduate Degree; and

- must demonstrate past experience in collecting, analyzing, and reporting paleontological data, similar to the type and scope of work proposed in the application.

- must demonstrate past experience in planning, equipping, staffing, organizing, and supervising crews performing work that is proposed in the application.

- must demonstrate experience in carrying out paleontological projects to completion as evidenced by theses, research reports, scientific papers and similar documents.

- must provide a valid and current repository agreement with a Federally approved museum repository.

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act, Paleontological Resource Preservation subtitle (16 U.S.C. 470aaa) includes provisions allowing for casual or hobby collecting of reasonable amounts of common invertebrate and plant fossils without a permit on Federal lands managed by the BLM under certain conditions. Casual collecting is not allowed within lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Bureau of Reclamation.

The BLM does not authorize the commercial use of fossils collected on public lands.

Some areas on BLM-administered lands may be closed to hobby collecting for various reasons including mineral leasing, scientific study, resource preservation, and public safety.

“Common Invertebrate and Plant Fossils” include the fossilized remains of animals without a backbone, including snails, oysters, ammonites, corals, shellfish, and others. This also includes different types of preservation of animals in rock, including tracks, traces, burrows, impressions, and original hard-parts. Plant fossils include leaf and stem impressions, root traces, and original material. Petrified wood is a mineral material subject to specific regulations (including quantity restrictions).

Some invertebrate or plant fossils are rare or unusual and are therefore not considered to be common. These may include impressions of rare precambrian soft-bodied fauna or other taxa that are unstudied or new to science. Rare or unusual invertebrate or plant fossils, as determined by the current state of the sciences of invertebrate paleontology or paleobotany, must be deposited in a museum and may only be collected with a paleontological resource use permit.

“Reasonable amount” means what you may keep for a personal hobby collection or display in your home for NON-COMMERCIAL purposes only.

Contact the nearest BLM office to inquire about areas that may be closed to fossil collection or other recreational activities. It is your responsibility to be familiar with regulations.

Roger

I keep six honest serving-men (they taught me all I knew);Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who [Rudyard Kipling]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm probably misunderstanding you, jpc. When you say federal land, are you meaning public land like along the side of highways and interstates? If that were the case, all of the individuals who collect shark teeth are doing so illegally.

Federal Land means land owned by the Federal gobmint. This comes in many forms... Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Forest Service, National Park Service, various dam running entities (Bureau of Reclamation and Corps of Engineers) , Dept of Defense, Fish and Wildlife... etc. As for the side of highways and roadcuts... as auspex mentioned, non-emergency stopping on the Interstates (run by the federal Gov) is illegal and is a good way to meet the local cops. Other roads are run by the state and each state has its own rules. And County Roads... who knows, but I am sure that many of us regularly stop on county roads for fossiling. Some roadcuts are posted, no stopping (some good crab spots in the Pacific NW).

Not sure who or where these folks are collecting shark teeth in road cuts, but if they are on an interstate... yes, illegal. Maybe a gray area if you park somewhere else and walk to the roadcut. Gray, but I am sure frowned upon.

I got my best fossilized raindrop impressionss from I-80 in PA. In a roadcut. We were stopped in a no-movement traffic jam, so I just popped over the to road cut and found it. Same gray area as walking to the roadcut.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...