[meteorite-list] Who owns the meteorite?

From: countdeiro at earthlink.net <countdeiro_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:02:43 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
Message-ID: <7007015.1285354963973.JavaMail.root_at_wamui-june.atl.sa.earthlink.net>

Steve said "...it must belong to the school."

I respectfully disagree with this statement and with the statement " ...it belongs to the Smithsonian."

Public schools do not in themselves "own" property. The lands and improvements are typically the assets of local, or state government (i.e.. the citizens of that county, or state.) Their maintenance and operation are usually governed by an elected Board of Trustees. They, if made aware, would most probably decide the disposition of a find.

Federal lands, including National Parks, Wilderness Areas, Mining Claims, Restricted Areas and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management are subject to a hodge podge of regulations that directly, or indirectly affect the taking of meteorites. There is no "all encompassing directive that says all meteorites on all Federally held land "belongs" to the Smithsonian.

Consider a " mining claim" or a "homestead" being proved up. There are many other examples...including the "issuance of a permit to hunt meteorites specifically on Federal, or State lands." Something I have personal experience with having recently joined with the permit holder to search ;ands off limits to those without a permit.

Finally, in many states, Nevada being one, I have seen metorites considered minerals and as those mineral rights are with held from fee simple ownership of land. Therefore, the land owner has no right to the minerals on his own land. He must is sublect to complicated state mining and oil exploration law.

This whole business is messy and arbitrary and can lead to no good. I would like the meteorite community to develop a lobbying arm to educate state and federal lawmakers and monitor and promote legislation that protects us before, not after, our activities are banned.

Please spare us the arguments that it is expensive, etc. etc.

Regards,

Count Deiro
IMCA 3536



-----Original Message-----
>From: Steve Dunklee <steve.dunklee at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Sep 24, 2010 11:05 AM
>To: almitt2 at localnet.com, meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Who owns the meteorite?
>
>Ownership of meteorites is pretty clear in United States law. The owner of a meteorite is the land owner. If one falls on my land it is mine. If one falls on your land it is yours. If one falls on federal land it belongs to the Smithsonian. So if one lands in a school yard it must belong to the school. Other countrys may have different law. Cheers Steve Dunklee
>
>On Thu Sep 23rd, 2010 12:48 AM EDT almitt2 at localnet.com wrote:
>
>>Hi Ron and all,
>>
>>If this is going to be the case, if you get a permit to hunt federal lands then you are being granted a lease to hunt and all material should belong to the finder then. Perhaps this is an interpatation of the law we can live with.
>>
>>--AL Mitterling
>>
>>Quoting R N Hartman <rhartman04 at earthlink.net>:
>>
>>> So regarding the article, in essence this interpretation is saying that if you have a lease on land at which time a meteorite lands on it, you have legal rights to it. But you must have the lease, not be wandering down a public road or across a school yard, or even being on a dry lake or the open desert. Yes??
>>>
>>> Ron Hartman
>>
>>
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Received on Fri 24 Sep 2010 03:02:43 PM PDT