[meteorite-list] US States & Fed Govt Laws regarding prospecting, hiking, boondocking, stargazing, etc.

From: Michael Bross <element33_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 02:00:45 +0200
Message-ID: <0cff01c9b4b8$67745870$58768a5c_at_Inspiron8200>

Hello MikeG and List

This is a great idea. When looking at Iridium measuring/testing (haha :)) I
stumbled upon a
French metal detector website which summarized well enough laws and
regulations
pertaining to "hunting" on private or public land in France: national,
regional etc...

We know that laws can be "gray" to some extent, but still it is a good
start.

PS: this should be another thread, but how come a place like the Canyon
Diablo
Meteor Crater site is a private enterprise ?!
I know we talk about USA but still... such a place should be State or
Federal property, no ?!
or did I not understand properly your post Mike ?

Good evening everyone

Michael B, France


----- Original Message -----
From: "Galactic Stone & Ironworks" <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 4:09 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] US States & Fed Govt Laws regarding
prospecting,hiking, boondocking, stargazing, etc.


> Hi Listees!
>
> I was reading with great interest the recent list posts about state
> laws in Arizona and Colorado regarding hunting for meteorites, bird
> watching, etc. I don't want some humorless officer with a crewcut and
> a sharp hat threatening me with jail for stargazing or boondocking, so
> I'd like to suggest a discussion thread dedicated solely to the laws,
> and not the ethics, of hunting meteorites on state and federally-owned
> land.
>
> I have a couple of observations and questions I'd like to share with
> the group and someone please correct me if I am wrong about anything
> here -
>
> I read that one must have a special state license or pass to use
> certain state lands in Arizona and Colorado - I am assuming this does
> not apply to pay-for-access areas like State Parks where tourists pay
> an entry fee and they are allowed to birdwatch and hike within the
> boundaries of the park. Also, what about the federal land passes that
> are available? If I am in a National Park in Arizona (federal land)
> and I have a valid federal land pass, does this mean an Arizona state
> officer can't hassle me on that federal land? I realize having such a
> pass does not entitle me to access or use state-owned lands, but am I
> correct in my assumption that the federal pass takes precedence over
> the state pass on federally-administered lands?
>
> Also, I am assuming that the possession of a state or a federal
> land-use permit does not grant any privileges in regards to gathering,
> harvesting, prospecting, or removing natural materials - including
> fossils, minerals, gold, meteorites, etc. I have researched the
> federal land use permits online and it
> 's pretty clear that they only grant *access* to certain areas and use
> of certain specific facilities instead of paying a gate fee or entry
> fee. It clearly states that no other rights or privileges are granted
> other than the few specifically mentioned in the terms of the
> pass/permit.
>
> In Florida, where I lived for many years, one can acquire a "fossil
> permit" from the State which grants certain prospecting and removal
> rights on certain State-owned lands in Florida. It only covers
> fossils, but it's better than a kick in the teeth. Are there any
> other states that have similar permits available, and are these
> permits available to non-residents?
>
> I'd like to know, briefly, what risks are involved with prospecting
> meteorites in the following well-known strewnfields :
>
> Gold Basin, Franconia, Holbrook, Glorieta, the Mojave area?
>
> It is well-known that the area around Meteor Crater (Canyon Diablo) is
> off-limits to meteorite prospectors - it is verboten. But, are there
> ANY areas in the vicinity of the crater where it is possible to
> legally prospect for meteorites, assuming the proper permits are in
> order? What about smaller private land owners - is any of the land
> owned by someone who will grant permission to prospect, or is every
> square inch of land around the Crater off-limits completely? I find
> it hard to imagine that an impact event of that size didn't throw some
> meteorites over and beyond the reach of "Meteor Crater Inc, LLC and
> it's Subsidiaries" legal team. Is there no-way a law-abiding citizen
> can go find a Diablo meteorite, or do I just need to get that out of
> my head and forget about it?
>
> What about Odessa Texas? Can one legally find meteorites there on
> public or private lands? Or is it another Canyon Diablo type of
> situation around the Odessa Crater?
>
> Brenham Kansas? Off-limits? Will the farmers look at you cross-ways
> and rack back the slide on their 10-gauge scattergun when you drive
> slowly down the road gazing longingly at the rolling fields that
> conceal pallasitic joy? Does any of the Brenham strewnfield extend
> onto public lands?
>
> Has anyone ever taken a shot in the dark and looked around Peekskill
> for the lost stones? There out there oxidizing away somewhere in the
> woods or in a lake.
>
> What about the other meteorite-laden areas of Texas? Using the NASA
> WordlWind plugin for the Met Soc database, it's easy to see that some
> areas of Texas are peppered with old finds. Do any of these areas
> still produce specimens, and which ones can be legally prospected (if
> any)? Dawn, Forestburg, Travis, Tulia, etc, etc, etc. ?
>
> I ask this endless stream of questions because very soon I will be
> joining the hunt and I'd like to spend some time combing these old
> strewnfields for finds - but I want to stay on the right side of the
> law. I don't want a trespassing charge and I don't want to go through
> what Mike and Sonny went through, if I can help it. When I travel to
> an area, I want to be very cognizant and respectful of not only the
> local laws, but the local traditions and culture. I don't want to
> inadvertently find myself in a sticky situation with some Wyatt
> Earp-wannabe sheriff or a trigger-happy landowner with dubious
> boundaries. Is all of this just par for the course in meteorite
> prospecting?
>
> Finally, one last question for the group, I have been to TreasureNet
> and some other places online looking for information regarding the
> legality of using metal detectors on public land in the various US
> states. I couldn't find a simple complete list of the applicable laws
> in the various states and there seems to be a wide variation between
> the states. Does anyone have a weblink they can share that shows a
> complete list or nationwide summary of the laws?
>
> Are these the kinds of questions that wily veteran hunters hate to
> hear newbies ask because it means increased competition for finds in
> the long run? ;)
>
> Best regards, clear skies, and happy huntings,
>
> MikeG
>
>
> --
> .........................................................
> Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA)
> Member of the Meteoritical Society.
> Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network.
> Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com
> ..........................................................
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Received on Fri 03 Apr 2009 08:00:45 PM PDT