[meteorite-list] BLM Law vs Type Sample

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 14:59:35 -0400
Message-ID: <CAKBPJW854ke2u1OTuPaRBuWgg-FYECsZjvEjFbbpfBkmC3Sysw_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Greg and List (again),

I hope we don't see BLM meteorites treated (by the scientific
community) the same way meteorites from questionable countries are
treated. In other words, I hope the next BLM find or fall does not
become the next Breja. In Breja we had a new fall that scientists and
institutions are scared to touch, because of the legal questions
surrounding it. Who suffers and who gains in such a scenario? Will
Breja ever be classified? Will it ever be officially studied or
published? What if it has something important to contribute to
science? We'll never know.

Let us hope BLM meteorites do not get the Breja-treatment.

Politics and regulations should not interfere with science, but we see
it frequently in other areas of science - stem cell research comes to
mind. And now meteorites are going to become another victim of
bureaucracy.

This is where the meteorite community really needs a powerful advocate
who can gain access to the policy makers. I don't care if it's the
IMCA, Met Soc, or an informal group such as a consortium of
politically-active (and monied) collectors and hunters - somebody
needs to be proactive and do something before this snowballs beyond
our control, if it hasn't already. There are some members of our
community who have access to the media (and television networks), and
perhaps it's time for these members to step up to the plate and
advocate on the behalf of the community. It will be risky, it will be
largely thankless, and it might be futile, but it's worth trying.

If we do nothing, we know what will eventually happen. We have
foreseen the current situation, and it doesn't take a genius to see
the next logical progession of policy in this area. Governments have
a hunger for power and it is never sated. The more it gets, the more
it craves.

Best regards,

MikeG

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On 10/2/12, Greg Hup? <gmhupe at centurylink.net> wrote:
> The more I digest all of the new and clear BLM regs concerning meteorites
> and their distribution/handling, the more I wonder how that effects those
> who get meteorites classified that are found on BLM land. As we know, a
> scientific type sample is REQUIRED in order to get any meteorite classified
>
> and approved by the NomCom. In a way, the type sample may be considered
> 'bartering' in order for the meteorite to be recognized by the meteorite
> community. There are many American meteorites that are found on BLM land
> that reside in museums, were they donated with a later tax write-off for the
>
> individual finder/donator? Did the museum trade for said meteorite, if so,
> that is a no-no!!
>
> These are just a couple of quick thoughts to provoke the intellectual minds
>
> of our scientist and museum curator friends to discuss. Since I serious
> doubt any BLM main office is going to give us lowly occasional hunters the
> time of day, maybe our community is better served by those professionals who
>
> work with bureaucrats on a daily basis so our thoughts and concerns can be
> addressed more clearly and not on an Internet forum such as here!
>
> The American Meteorite Community: Between a Rock and a Hard Place...
> Greg
>
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Received on Tue 02 Oct 2012 02:59:35 PM PDT