December 30, 1999

EMS TRANSMISSION 01/05/2000
Instruction Memorandum No. OR-2000-023
Expires: 9/30/2001

Attached is a newly created guide for rock collecting on Bureau of Land Management lands in Oregon and Washington. The guide not only provides reasonable collecting limits, but also identifies requirements for fossils, petrified wood, and archeological materials. The guide was put together at the request of, and in cooperation with, the Oregon Council of Rock and Mineral Clubs and the Washington State Mineral Council. We also eventually plan to create a brochure on rock collecting areas and a website on the subject.

OSO CONTACT: John Kalvels, Branch of Physical Sciences (OR932),
Telephone 503-952-6040.

Distribution
WO (360)(Room 5627 MIB)

ROCK COLLECTING GUIDE
Oregon & Washington
U.S. Bureau of Land Management

. GENERAL INFORMATION: A wide variety of rocks, minerals, and semi-precious gemstones are available for collecting on 16 million acres of lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Oregon and Washington. Most BLM lands are open to rock collecting, and some areas, such as the Glass Buttes obsidian area in our Prineville District and a public sunstone area in our Lakeview District, have been specifically set aside for this purpose. There are collecting restrictions, and a BLM permit may be needed depending on the amount of material you collect, how you collect it, where or when you collect, and whether or not it is used commercially. The following information is provided for the public to be used as a general guide for collecting on BLM lands in Oregon and Washington.

. COLLECTING LIMITS & PERMITS: You can collect a reasonable amount of rocks and minerals from BLM lands, but a permit or fee may be needed if you exceed certain amounts as described below. Note that the collecting limits for petrified wood are slightly different.

. PETRIFIED WOOD: Collecting petrified wood is free up to 25 pounds per day, plus one piece, but no more than 250 pounds per year. Pooling of quotas among two or more people to obtain pieces over 250 pounds is prohibited. A permit is needed for amounts over these limits.

. REMAINS, ARTIFACTS, AND FOSSILS: The excavation, collection or destruction of any human remains and archaeological or historical materials located on federal land is illegal and prohibited by federal and state laws. This includes skeletal materials, arrowheads, flakes, pottery or potsherds, mats, rock art, old bottles, and pieces of equipment or buildings. Any human remains should be left intact and reported to federal or state authorities immediately. A permit is needed for collecting vertebrate fossils, but not for common invertebrate fossils.

Attachment 1-1

. MINING CLAIMS: Collecting on mining claims is not advised without the mining claimant's consent because the claimant has a legal right to the minerals on the claim, including gemstones. Although mining claims should be marked with posts or markers, not all mining claims can be easily identified in the field. Check with the nearest BLM office to find out if there are any mining claims to watch out for in the area you want to collect. Many commonly collected rocks such as chert, petrified wood, obsidian, and cinders are not subject to mining claim location, even though people sometimes mistakenly stake mining claims for these minerals anyway.

. ROCK STOCKPILES: Some BLM rock quarries have stockpiles of crushed rock in them that have been purchased by BLM specifically for road maintenance work. Removing this stockpiled material is prohibited and considered theft of federal property.

. CLOSED OR RESTRICTED AREAS: Although most BLM lands are open to collecting, some areas such as campgrounds, cultural and historic sites, and natural areas are off limits to collecting. Other types of closures or restrictions, some of which are seasonal, include fire, wildlife, road use, wilderness, and wilderness study areas. You should check with the local BLM office for more detailed information before starting out on your collecting excursion.

. OTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN COLLECTING:

1. Know whose property you are on.
2. Get permission to collect on private property.
3. Limit your excavation depth to four feet from the original ground surface.
4. Fill in any holes that you have dug.
5. Leave the area and all gates as you found them.
6. Find out if there are any fire restrictions in effect.
7. Stay out of old mines.

. MAPS AND OTHER INFORMATION: You should contact either the nearest BLM office for more detailed information about specific collecting sites or our Portland office listed below for the addresses and phone numbers of the various BLM field offices. Many bookstores and rock shops may also have information or sell books and maps that can help you find other privately-owned collecting areas.

Please help preserve our heritage. Report any suspicious activity that may involve the theft or vandalism of any remains, artifacts, or fossils to any BLM office.

December 1999

Attachment 1-2