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" <fa...@yahoo.com>
To: "meteorite central" <meteorite-list@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 <raremeteori...@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.gess...@duke.edu>
To: meteorite-list <meteorite-list@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 lkui...@blm.gov, and Frank Jenks, Natural Resources
Specialist fje...@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.gess...@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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