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CONSERVING 30% OF AMERICA’S LANDS AND OCEAN BY 2030...... Not just BLM and USFS Land, All of American Land! January 27, 2021 (This action will affect Rockhounding across the country!)
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H.R. 5244: Fusion Energy Act: To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to include fusion energy machines, and for other purposes.
Although
this legislation may not have an effect on Recreational Rockhounding,
it will amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42
U.S.C. 2014) and bringing
the use of Fusion Nuclear Reactors, (Replacing the Fission Reactors
of the 20th Century), into the 21st Century using new and safe
technology. The use of Fusion Reactors to generate "Clean and
Safe" Nuclear Electricity to power the American Grid will reduce
the need for additional Large Scale Solar and Wind Farms on Public
Lands and there by preserving the Recreational Rockhounding
Collecting sites from encroaching Renewable Energy projects.
H.R. 8954: To promote the development of renewable energy on public lands, and for other purposes.
This bill could have an effect on Recreational Rockhounding. If a Solar or Wind facility is put near a Collecting Site the Access Road my be inside of the Power Facility and closed to through traffic. If that is the case a provision in the bill should require the land lessee be required to provide an alternative road around the facility for access to the collecting site, Contact your legislator and voice your concerns about the Bill and let your voice and the voice of the Recreational Rockhound be heard, S. 1271: FEND Off Fentanyl Act - A bill to impose sanctions with respect to trafficking of illicit
fentanyl and its precursors by transnational criminal organizations,
including cartels, and for other purposes. Yes, these two bill have very little to do regarding Recreational Rockhounding. Please take a look at the proposed bills and make up your own mind. It may not have any effect on your collecting but it could have an impact on your health and safety while roaming in the deserts of the Southwest at your favorite collecting sites. These bills have to do with stopping the Drug and Human Trafficking across our boarders So, please read and if you agree please contact your elected officials and encourage them to support this bill and help get it passed into law.
H.R. 3333: FEND Off Fentanyl Act - To impose sanctions with respect to trafficking of illicit fentanyl and
its precursors by transnational criminal organizations, including
cartels, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3397: To require the Director of the
Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a rule of the Bureau of Land
Management relating to conservation and landscape health.
Please contact your elected Congressional Representative and ask them to support and vote for this bill. Without the passage of this bill the BLM will be able to restrict Recreational Rockhounding on any Public Lands without any congressional approval or oversight. ******************************************************************************************************* The legislation below, if enacted, may or may not have an affect on Recreational Rockhounding... H.R. 95: Increasing Public Access to Recreation Act
Call or Write Congress H.R. 209: To improve the permitting process for mining on Federal land, and for other purposes.
H.R. 99: LIST Act of 2023 ("Less Imprecision in Species Treatment Act of 2023")
**************************************************** Fossil Collecting for Recreational Rockhounds
Geology.com
******************************************************************************************************* Fossil Collecting could become a Fossil in itself. Introduced June 17, 2021 Learn More What Legislation is in your State Legislature? Find your state and check it out. 10 Largest Wilderness Areas In The Lower 48 (Click to Access)
Please Note: BLM Links may not currently work. The BLM is re-building their websites and there are some minor problems to be worked out. When the websites are working the ALAA Links will also be updated to the new website information. Perdue Statement on House Passage of Resilient Federal Forests Act 1-11-2017 Secretary Zinke has requested public comments on any and all DOI regulations. This is a fantastic opportunity for the public to speak up about any regulation in any DOI division. Just follow the link, click on the comment now button next to the department that oversees the regulation you are commenting on and and make your comments. Link to Department of the Interior (DOI) *****************************************************************************************************
Access to Public Lands: The Effects of Forest Service Road Closures - June 26, 2018 -- Watch the House Committee Testimony
U.S. Supreme Court Rules ESA Critical Habitat Must be Actual Listed Species Habitat....... In a big departure from previous interpretation of the federal
Endangered Species Act, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that
critical habitat designated for a threatened or endangered species must
be actual habitat for that species, not simply adjacent habitat or areas
that may be suitable for habitat.
Currently, critical habitat may include areas that are not occupied
by a listed species, but may be designated if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service determines the areas are “essential for conservation of the
species.” The ruling not only limits the Service’s ability to designate
critical habitat in the future, but also opens up challenges to past
designations that have economic impacts on the regulated community. The
ruling can be viewed on the Court’s website here.
National Minerals Information Center May 7, 2024 Interior Releases 2018’s Final List of 35 Minerals Deemed Critical to U.S. National Security and the Economy The Department of the Interior published a list of 35 mineral commodities considered critical to the economic and national security of the United States. This list will be the initial focus of a multi-agency strategy due in August this year to implement President Donald J. Trump's Executive Order to break America's dependence on foreign minerals. Read the News Release...... (USGS news release)
The Bureau of Land Management handbooks provide detailed instructions
for implementing the policy and direction described in the BLM manual
sections. Handbooks provide specific detailed instructions, techniques,
procedures, practices, and processes. Handbooks do not contain broad
objectives, policies or assignment of responsibilities. BLM handbooks
are considered part of the manual, with the same authority.
The BLM maintains 38 chartered advisory committees located in the West. These include 30 statewide and regional Resource Advisory Councils; 6 advisory committees affiliated with specific sites on the BLM’s National Conservation Lands; and two others, including the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board and the North Slope Science Initiative Science Technical Advisory Panel. Just "CLICK" Here to find a resource advisory council, committee or panel near you. Travel and Transportation Handbook (PDF) Posted May 5, 2018 BLM Maps (Posted April 1, 2018)
BLM Pending Publication Federal Register Documents on Public Inspection Posted December 2017 BLM Website - New Website Posted 4-14-2017 (Check States for local Websites) BLM National Contacts - New Website Posted 4-14-2017 BLM Eastern States - New Website Posted 4-14-2017 BLM Eastern States Contacts - New Website Posted 4-14-2017 Contact the Department of the Interior (DOI) Added 4-14-2017 A Citizen's Guide to the NEPA- Having Your Voice Heard (PDF) Posted 4-24-2016
Public Lands Legislation in Tennessee and Mississippi, California, Commonwealth of Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon, and Utah. It is not just the West anymore. Posted March 14, 2016
This Land Is No Longer Your Land About Mining and Minerals - BLM The Mining Law allows for the enactment of state laws governing location and recording to mining claims and sites that are consistent with Federal law. The Federal regulations implementing the Mining Law, including fee schedules, are found at Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in Groups 3700 and 3800. Fossil Issues and Public Lands Posted 1-14-2017
BLM Activities for the Southeastern United States US Forest Service information New Page - March 2015 NEW 2017: USFS Mining Regulations - A Guide for Recreational Rockhounds
For those of you who live east of the Rockies and don't think you have concerns about using Forests to either collect in or go through to get to your collecting sites....think again. These forests are writing or have already written Travel Plans for each of them and the closure of roads throughout is stunning. And this only covers U.S. Forests, we are NOT talking about state forests which is a whole different problem. And don't forget all the states that have seashores....this is becoming another problem on what you can pick up on the beaches of each state. Stay informed and let us know if there are problems....we can't police all areas, you as ALAA members need to get involved. Shirley Leeson, Past President ALAA The following PDF files contain the Forests by State which are creating or revising their Forest Travel Management Plans (TMP). Click on the Forest to read the TMP ***********************************************
Learn About Public Land Access Issues Just click on the State of Inertrest (From ARRA)
S. 47: A bill to provide for the management of the natural resources of the United States, and for other purposes.
NOTE: This bill will turn WSA into Wilderness Areas and may affect Access for Recreational Rockhounding. It could have an access effect to the Wiley's Well Area in California. ************************************************************************************************ National Monuments
Our Friends at Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) have put together another quiz. While their first quiz was intended to be a quick fun diversion that could be shared with friends, the quiz below is designed to allow you to test your knowledge of the National Monument designation process. Take ARRA Quiz to Test Your Knowledge! Rockhound Soap Box - National Monuments September 1, 2016 The Antiquities Act of 1906 grants the President unilateral authority to designate areas of public lands as National Monuments. While it seems clear that the original intent of the law was to provide Presidents with the ability to designate specific landmarks or objects, plus as small a portion of surrounding land as practicable, several Presidents have used the authority to designate large areas. It is almost certain that OHV use will be restricted in any area designated as a National Monument as anti-access proponents view monument designations as a way to functionally manage an area as wilderness without going through the formal wilderness designation process. Last session a leaked Department of Interior memo outlined the Obama Administration’s consideration of designating up to 13 million acres of public lands in 11 western states as National Monuments. As a result numerous bills have been introduced to restrict National Monument designations. Wyoming was previously exempted from the Antiquities Act by statute. NATIONAL MONUMENTS THEN and NOW CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress National Monuments and the Antiquities Act (PDF) Posted July 13, 2015 New California National Monuments ************************************************************************************************** Wilderness Aeas in California Posted May 27, 2016 ************************************************************************************************** Take Action - Make your voice be heard.
58% of all Federal Public Lands Are Already Under Restrictive Designations. Here are the Shocking Numbers By J. Spivack, February 28, 2013 ****************************************
On-Line copy of the U.S. Code. Posted May 28, 2016 TITLE 16 > CHAPTER 23 >§ 1131. National Wilderness Preservation System
New Link 2013: The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (PDF),
Did You Know? The average U.S. household spent $2,912 on gasoline in 2012, or 4 percent of its before-tax income, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. NEPA Primer by Joanne Spivack - January 2013
State-by-State Info Access Issues, Public Meetings, Contact Information. all this and details about the National Forests in your state on ARRA's comprehensive state pages.
An agreement proposed by attorneys on both sides of a federal lawsuit involving mineral rights on the Allegheny National Forest would throw out a settlement agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and a group of environmentalists, and resolve most of the suit in favor of the oil interests. Read More: Mineral Rights also affect Rockhounds.
NEW LINK: Public Lands Interpretive Association NEW LINK: Parks, Recreation Areas, Trails Bills NEW LINK: Bills Before The House Committee on Natural Resources
BIG Park Video - See it to believe it. Windows Media Player must be installed. For a free Download from Microsoft Just click on Windows Media Player above.
LACK OF SUITABILITY AS WILDERNESS
"Hardrock mining reform a tough sell despite activist outcry" (Greenwire at The New York Times, 3/16/11)
The federal law governing locatable minerals is the General Mining Act of 1872 and was approved on May 10, 1872. This law declared all valuable mineral deposits in land belonging to the United States to be free and open to exploration and purchase. This law provides citizens of the United States the opportunity to explore for, discover, and purchase certain valuable mineral deposits on federal lands that are open for mining location and patent (open to mineral entry). (My Public Lands Tumblr)
For more on pending legislation see the individual states listings under Active Legislation
For more information on the Wilderness Act: See United States Code Above Title 16 Chapter 23 pages 1131 -11136
Presidential Actions - Proclamations and Executive Orders How to contact the President of the United States of America.... | ||
