[meteorite-list] Meteorite Hunting Laws

From: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri May 13 16:01:13 2005
Message-ID: <044001c557f6$872a6100$6401a8c0_at_c1720188a>

Dear List,

Some are asking why I would bring up such a topic on the List. Frankly, I
am tired of the rumors spreading in the background and collectors quoting
the blog site. A lot of these rumors are false and more damaging than the
truth. The problem with secrecy is that nobody knows what is real and what
isn't and in this case lives have been affected. If Oman would have made
its laws public I am sure nobody would have been arrested there but they
didn't. There may have been permits issued but who knows what they actually
say? I think it is better to get this kind of stuff out in the open so that
collectors and hunters know what the laws really are rather then finding
themselves in trouble.

We have the same problem here in the United States. I talked to a BLM
official who said it was alright to collect meteorites on federal land just
as long as you did not exceed a certain weight. I asked what this weight
was he and could not answer me. Meteorite hunters have been
beating-around-the-bush for years about the legality of Mojave finds. Some
hunters still believe the Smithsonian is going to swoop in and take their
finds so they don't report tem. I am sure there are certain areas in the
Mojave that are illegal to search. How are we supposed to know unless
somebody gets into trouble first? I can't find any of these laws online.
This is dangerous because if laws are not posted a meteorite hunter might
assume he is within the law taking meteorites when in fact he is committing
a felony.

I hope somebody here on the List can provide us interested in searching
United States deserts accurate descriptions of the laws governing meteorite
finds. I am tired of all the gray area talk. What are the laws?

Best Wishes,

------------------------------------
Adam Hupe
The Hupe Collection
Team LunarRock
IMCA 2185
raremeteorites_at_comcast.net
Received on Fri 13 May 2005 04:01:18 PM PDT