[meteorite-list] OFF LIST: BLM and Meteorite Recovery Policy

From: Jodie Reynolds <spacerocks_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2012 14:38:35 -0800
Message-ID: <1285500059.20121209143835_at_spaceballoon.org>

Hi Nick,

You agree that the people should fear their government? Thomas
Jefferson might have noted the support of tyranny in such an
[apparent] statement {^1}.

Other respondents have noted instances where the "land management"
agencies have started small and eventually leveraged that impression of "they
only want a little" to ultimately kill the entire pursuit. It's a
standard playbook really: steal a small amount until the people say
"ouch", then wait until they've become accustomed to the new
standard, then steal a little more. Rinse, lather, repeat.

The OHV ("four-wheeling") community have spent untold fortunes
litigating themselves back into existence after allowing this very
thing. "It could never happen to us", right? We've heard others
refer to "treasure hunting"/metal detecting, antiquities,
paleontological collecting, etc., but that will never happen here -
no, better we should shut up and try not to anger the
government-beast.

Personally: I'd never accurately report another find; retroactive
legislation is all too common.

Best Regards,

--- Jodie

^1: "When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the
government fears the people there is liberty." - Attributed to Thomas
Jefferson, possibly properly sourced to John Basil Barnhill.

Regardless of the source, it has proven a truism in every case.



> Doug,

> I fully agree with you...

> Cheers, Nick

> Nicholas Gessler, Ph.D.


> ________________________________________
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> [meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] on behalf of Doug Ross [doug at dougross.net]
> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2012 1:49 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] BLM and Meteorite Recovery Policy

> [CLIP!] [...] My concern is that mounting an aggressive campaign to
> elicit a revision in these guidelines could backfire. The easiest
> answer for a bureaucrat to give, when pressed for a response, is
> "No". [CLIP!] [...] I just hope that it is handled in a way that doesn't
> provoke an outright hunting ban by the Feds next year.

> Doug Ross
> doug at dougross.net
Received on Sun 09 Dec 2012 05:38:35 PM PST