The United States Senate Energy Committee favorably reported legislation, sponsored by U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), to codify a comprehensive national policy for the preservation and management of paleontological resources on Federal lands.
The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, S. 546, requires the Secretary to develop appropriate interagency management plans to protect paleontological resources and establish a program to increase public awareness about the significance of paleontological resources. The legislation also allows for the casual collecting of common invertebrate and plant paleontological resources on Federal lands controlled or administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service. The legislation codifies the current permitting system for the collection of vertebrate paleontological resources on Federal lands and allows these resources to be preserved in approved repositories for public education and scientific research. S. 546 is supported by professional and amateur collecting groups and museums such as the Western Interior Paleontological Society, Dry Dredgers, Inc., the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the American Association of Museums.
"Paleontological resources on Federal lands are an irreplaceable part of the heritage of the United States," stated Senator Akaka. "A unified national policy promotes responsible public stewardship and creates a legacy of scientific knowledge for future generations."
The rising commercial value of fossils has increased the occurrence of theft, vandalism, and illegal trade of paleontological resources from Federal lands. The U.S. Forest Service found that almost one-third of paleontological sites surveyed in the Oglala National Grassland showed evidence of unauthorized collecting, and the National Park Service identified over 700 documented incidents of paleontolgical resource theft in a three-year period. Inconsistent regulations and the lack of strong penalties to deter this type of illegal activity on Federal lands make it difficult for U.S. Attorneys to prosecute these cases. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act addresses these problems. The bill also recognizes that new and frequent discoveries of fossils significantly contribute to the understanding and interpretation of the history of life on earth.
The legislation does not include archaeological resources as defined under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act or cultural items as defined by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act under the definition of paleontological resources. Federal lands are defined as lands controlled or administered by the Secretary of the Interior except Indian lands or National Forest System lands controlled or administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.
"Fossils are too valuable to the education of our children not to ensure public access. We need to fulfill our responsibility as stewards of public lands and protect our nation's natural resources," Akaka noted.
