Documenting your
collecting areas. ALAA has advised for
several years now, that AFMS Societies, Federations and individuals
document their collecting areas with the site-specific routes used,
and the identification of the material collected, along with your
valuable history at these places.
We suggest
this, because if/when a collecting area is threatened of being
closed, you want to be more ready ahead of time to address the issue
with good input. If you or your club haven’t collected this
information already, best to get going on this project ASAP, so you
have it.
Remember, some of
your collecting areas aren’t very accessible during the winter and
summer months due to extreme heat, snow, melting of snowpack
mountains, desert flash floods.
Your club’s hand
drawn vintage field trip maps are always wonderful to look at, but
may not be up to date any longer when it comes to the route numbers,
and that old tree that was a sign post of where to turn. Sometimes,
the signage to your routes changes over the years due to weather,
human folly or BLM makes a change, all which may not match up with
your old map. Make sure your maps are up to date, even if you know
them by heart while you are driving. Best to make sure your
documenting is current while you enjoy the good weather on your field
trip.
There is a reason
ALAA has asked over the years to send us a copy of the ALAA Field...
Trips Journals.
Without this information, ALAA won’t be
able to include that information when we send in our comment letters
in support of Recreational Rockhounding on your behalf. We keep a
file of this information, but we don’t share that information,
unless there is a critical collecting access issue at hand.
When public lands
begins talking about closing access to your collecting areas, it’s
been important to share that information with other AFMS societies.
That way they can use the same site-specific route information with
the list of collected material in their comment letters, in their
support of you. One rockhound can have a lot of positive impact with
their comment letter. More rockhounds with the same site-specific
information in their public comments and public comment letters, adds
even more positive benefit.
Getting to know
your Public Lands Managers. We’ve found
stopping by the field office near your field trip to say “hello”
is a great way for the managers to get to know Rockhounds. We are
good people and great to work with, but many of them still don’t
know much about us. Mention you are affiliated with the national
organization, American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS),
and that members abide by the AFMS Code of Ethics. Give a copy of the
“code” to them. The managers are always impressed we have a code
of ethics.
There are many
ways Recreational Rockhounds can work together with Public Lands
Management. It is important that we develop
good working relationships with management. Volunteering to give them
a hand is a great way to do that. If you see a disturbance that you
know is not right, like a lot of trash scattered around, uncovered
holes, evidence someone had come in without any regard to the
landscape and took down trees and bushes to get to material, report
this to the field office.
Trash Clean Ups.
More societies are getting on board with
doing these. Plan ahead. Contact the field office to let them know
you’d like to schedule a clean-up. They normally supply the bags,
and will work with you to organize the date. They’ll tell you the
spot they’d like you put the filled bags, old tires, etc., so they
can pick them up. Take a fun group photo with the trash and send it
to ALAA, your club editor, even your federation’s editor so we can
all give you credit for your good deed. You can add the photo to your
club’s annual scrapbook, too.
Other Ideas.
Another great idea some clubs are doing is working with
Public Lands and Park management, to create displays for the public
who visits them. These displays can be of the rough and polished
rocks, minerals and legal fossils found in the area. You can also
offer to help with public education by creating and assisting with
occasional field trips and mini workshops. You can plan ahead, and
invite the manager to a field trip with you so they get to know you
and your club better. Show them the fun experience we are all so
familiar with in learning about the amazing rocks, minerals and
fossils we have knowledge about. Don’t forget to supply a picnic
basket to share!
Memo Of Understanding (MOU’s).
ALAA/CFMS and the BLM accomplished writing a MOU for the
Hauser Geode Beds a few years ago. That MOU is still active today.
There is a criteria of commitment required to keep the MOU in place,
but it’s all so very easy to work with. Creating a MOU is something
ALAA can help you with, and our help if free.
Seeing
Strange Signs?
It’s
rare, but not unheard of to come across a sign within a collecting
area that wasn’t there before, stating private property or a claim.
Sometimes someone will put a sign up like this, and it’s not
actually a legal private property nor a legal claim. Report it to the
local field office and ask them to look into it. With some of these
problems and given the vast acreage management is responsible for
overseeing, they may not be aware of it. They will appreciate you
bringing it to their attention. They may not have an answer for you
overnight, but they will, so stay in touch with them.
A large measure of
our enjoyment of our hobby consists of collecting in the field. For
that reason, members of the American Federation of Mineralogical
Societies (AFMS) are proud to endorse the AFMS Code of Ethics. AFMS Code of Ethics
A large measure of
our enjoyment of our hobby consists of collecting in the field. For
that reason, members of the American Federation of Mineralogical
Societies (AFMS) are proud to endorse the AFMS Code of Ethics. 
