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Unwritten Laws For Corridors and other non-interstate/highway roads?

opabinia

By opabinia
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opabinia New Member

opabinia

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Earlier this summer, my father and I went on a road trip around the vicinity of Seneca Rocks in West Virginia; on the way back from a long day of hiking we stopped on a small outlet from the road (Corridor H, near Elkins) to stretch our legs. It was right beside of an extremely large and layered road-cut, we were in awe to find the best shell fossils that we've found in WV so far just laying everywhere. I climbed up the edge of the hillside parallel to the road to the second layer of exposed rock which was 99% shale (absolutely insane amounts of fossils, crinoids, brachiopods, etc. all nearly perfectly preserved) we left with only a few fossils.

 

Ever since then we have talked of returning to have a more extensive dig at the site, but we fear that there are laws which prohibit us from being there and collecting. The road that the site is on is 'Corridor H' which connects Route 48 and Route 250. It is a double lane on both sides. I understand that interstates and highways are no-go's, but nowhere that I've read does Corridor H or a 'Corridor' in general classify as one of these (also not to mention that it is unfinished in most parts of Virginia, this doesn't apply to the West Virginia portion, however...). I would like to know if anyone had any thoughts on digging here, i've seen a few treads mentioning collecting on Corridor H but nothing to the extent of knowing if it is legal or not. (if anyone has any questions for me either pm or reply)

 

 

Thanks all.

 

599b93f5164f6_Screenshot(5).thumb.png.28408462dfa1324fc41f229d8f52cfc1.png

The small gold star represents the locality.

 

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A satellite image of the area. The distance from the road to the site is a little over ~100ft (30m) Just below the star you can see a tiny dirt road where we parked.

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E.T. Hall - opabinia

 

"If It Can be Written or Thought, It can be Filmed." - Stanley Kubrick

 

Cambrian and Quaternary

 

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Fossildude19 Regular Member

Fossildude19

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It is always best to check in with your state Department of Transportation, to find out the legalities of collecting on roadways. 

The laws can vary from state to state, and taking legal advice from random people on the internet is not the best way to make sure you are compliant. ;) 

 

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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fossilized6s Regular Member

fossilized6s

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It's always been an unwritten rule to never "dig" into a road cut. Causing unstable conditions, falling debris or leaving it just an eye sore of a mess are just a few reasons places outlaw this. And why i don't get greedy and tear everything up (not saying you guys plan on it). But every state has their own laws on collecting road cuts. I've never had an issue collecting road cuts, yet. But you must be safe and mindful on how you leave it. 

~Charlie~

"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK
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Miocene_Mason Regular Member

Miocene_Mason

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I dot know about laws but Dang, I had  trip once when I visited both Seneca rocks and Canaan valley before I got into fossils, and now I'm angry I didn't hunt because of all the fossiliferous strata. It's not to far so I'll get there again someday. I think I do remember a website with people Fossil Hunting along the corridor and I don't think it's illegal, but I am sometimes wrong.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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opabinia New Member

opabinia

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19 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

It is always best to check in with your state Department of Transportation, to find out the legalities of collecting on roadways. 

The laws can vary from state to state, and taking legal advice from random people on the internet is not the best way to make sure you are compliant. ;) 

 

I plan on doing that just to be sure anyhow. Wish me luck :fingerscrossed:

 

19 hours ago, fossilized6s said:

It's always been an unwritten rule to never "dig" into a road cut. Causing unstable conditions, falling debris or leaving it just an eye sore of a mess are just a few reasons places outlaw this. And why i don't get greedy and tear everything up (not saying you guys plan on it). But every state has their own laws on collecting road cuts. I've never had an issue collecting road cuts, yet. But you must be safe and mindful on how you leave it. 

Oh, there is no need to dig at this site (sorry if i said that or implied it); since it's recently excavated there are fragments of rocks everywhere, basically all you have to do is walk around on the hillside and pick up rocks to break open to find the fossils.

8 hours ago, WhodamanHD said:

I dot know about laws but Dang, I had  trip once when I visited both Seneca rocks and Canaan valley before I got into fossils, and now I'm angry I didn't hunt because of all the fossiliferous strata. It's not to far so I'll get there again someday. I think I do remember a website with people Fossil Hunting along the corridor and I don't think it's illegal, but I am sometimes wrong.

To my knowledge the area around Elkins is one of the most fossil-ferrous areas in West Virginia, asside from the Mid-Eastern edges [Hardy, Baker county i guess]). If you found that website I'd be forever in your favor. :D

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E.T. Hall - opabinia

 

"If It Can be Written or Thought, It can be Filmed." - Stanley Kubrick

 

Cambrian and Quaternary

 

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Miocene_Mason Regular Member

Miocene_Mason

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2 hours ago, opabinia said:

To my knowledge the area around Elkins is one of the most fossil-ferrous areas in West Virginia, asside from the Mid-Eastern edges [Hardy, Baker county i guess]). If you found that website I'd be forever in your favor. :D

Yeah, hope to get back there soon.  Click this to view website, a roadcut near mount storm (the place that created the scariest car ride I've been in so far, that's another story though). Hope you find it useful, the blog has a couple intresting pieces on the area, including using gastropods to tell which way was up.

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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