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Monmouth County...

Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

8/5/2006 1:01:28 AM

xiphodan

19 posts

Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

This an article fron the Asbury Park Press about proposed regulations that will impact those of us that collect in NJ - Any thoughts?
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/NEWS01/607300369/1004/rss01

8/6/2006 4:41:27 PM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

Happy to see the former Jersey resident who has moved to greener fossil pastures is still looking out for the interests of the remaining Jersey fossil hunters. This is certainly a negative turn for one of the last remaining open fossil streams in the state. I will try and get the word out to fellow fossil enthusiasts. Thanks Xiphodan.

8/8/2006 12:45:45 PM

ditchweezil

328 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

Where do you think they got the "5 fossils per day" figure?

8/9/2006 3:32:12 AM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

there is another well-known fossil stream nearby that has had that ridiculous limit posted for years. of course we all obey it and leave after 1 screen load of collecting...

8/9/2006 4:18:36 AM

xiphodan

19 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

There doesn’t appear to be much scientific reasoning behind what the Environmental Commission is proposing. Go to any stream or river in New Jersey and you will see trees that have fallen due to erosion. Does this mean that fossil hunters are to blame? - It probably would if these streams and rivers had fossils in them, but the simple truth is that streams in central NJ flow through flood plains and their path through these plains change all the time. Couple that with the fact that the flow through these streams has substantially increased due to run-off from encroaching developments and its easy to see how fossil hunters could turn into an easy target. That’s not to say I’m against certain regulations being posted - Fossiling during daylight hours and staying within the confines of the streambed are generally pretty well adhered to, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt posting them. I know there have been issues of “digs” being done at Big Brook where serious damage was done and last year I myself listened to a gentleman in the parking lot at Aurora tell me how his college professor friend in NJ took his class to Big Brook and had them remove 2 feet of overburden to get down to the layer.
The fossil limit, I assume, is being modeled after Big Brook. I’m not against a fossil limit, but 5 is just too few. I think most collectors go through the phase of hoarding anything that resembles a fossil during their first ever 10 or so trips. But once that phase passes, a good trip is usually defined by three or four good finds along with one or two really good finds. Imagine though that a day comes where you hit that pocket of great material, and in 30 minutes of collecting you have 5 finds that you would never throw back into the stream - would you stop collecting? Of course not because you have found one of those spots that come along once every year if your lucky. If 5 great finds came out of it, there’s bound to be more and I myself would be driven to see what else that spot would produce. I know that people regularly disregard the fossil limit at Big Brook judging by pictures that sometimes get sent to me and I personally don’t blame them. Make a reasonable limit and it there will be a better chance of people adhering to it. I think 15 would be a good number but a limit of 10 would probably not cut my day short
As for the regulation dictating a 144 square inch maximum screen size I guess we the fossiling community have been on double secret probation. The article states, “ The proposal for regulations on fossil hunting came from the Environmental Commission after members observed visitors using screens much larger than the proposed 144-square-inch maximum, Lemma said.”
Say What? I guess there must have been a secret meeting where a secret maximum size was decided upon followed by a secret trip to see if everyone was following the secret regulations. The bottom line is that if you use a large screen yes you can load it with more material, but your also going to take two to three times longer washing and scanning it. I generally use a 16 square inch screen. If it was mandated that I could only use a 12 square inch screen, I could almost guarantee that the amount of material I go through on a trip would not change by much.
The regulation other than the fossil limit that would have a large impact, is the “trowel” regulation. I don’t know about anyone else, but using a “trowel” with a 6 inch maximum blade width doesn’t sound like much fun. But I guess that the aim here is to take some of the enjoyment out of this activity for some reason decided upon in some secret meeting by people who really have no interest in fossiling - or at least that’s my impression. I hope the Commission can give a better reason than “visitors using screens larger than the proposed 144- square-inch maximum...”. If anyone hears of some more logical reasoning please let us all know. Monmouth County has been fairly friendly towards fossiling, but it only takes one or two individuals to change that. I never collected upstream of Boundary Road at Big Brook, but I heard it was great. One land owner was all it took to shut that stretch down - lets hope we don’t lose anymore.

8/9/2006 10:17:43 PM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

If there is any kind of a breeze at all while digging in Ramenessin brook, and you have 5 average teeth in a plastic baggie, you had better not set the baggie down or it will blow away. These regulations, including the arbitrary limit of 5 teeth, have been pulled out of thin air. I agree with all of XiphoDan's points on this matter. Especially the stream erosion issues that are taking place in all of the Central Jersey streams due to the encroaching "asphalt jungle". Guess the thought process is it's much easier to place restrictions on fossil hunters rather than the developers to show the local citizenry that strong and decisive action is being taken.

8/13/2006 3:20:07 PM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

Okay, I go fossil hunting once every few years in Big Brook since I am old and have kids I can't get away alot. When I do, I bring home what I collect. . .if it is 20 pieces of broken teeth or 20 pieces of pretty rocks. I also collect trash and broken glass and bring it to a garbage site. So, my thought is, if I went every day for a week, and brought home 5 fossils each day, that would be 35 fossils, much more than my collection from a few hours. I went yesterday and there was a family reunion of parents and kids, aunts, etc. who collected when they were kids. When they showed up I was not happy about sharing the area with a bunch of, but all were very respectful and careful, also collected trash, and they had a great time.

8/14/2006 9:35:00 PM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

This is the very reason why I moved out of The North. Every idiot, or organization of idiots, felt the need to tell people what they can and cannot do, down to where, when and how I collect fossils. There are laws, rules & regs for everything except passing gas. I find it highly ironic that the birthplace of the American Revolution, the northeastern states, which fought against an oppressive government, seem very content in installing their own version of instrusive, oppressive government. Sorry, I know this isn't a political forum, but it pi**es me off when they do this. Aren't there better things they could be doing with their time?!

8/16/2006 1:54:21 AM

legacyForum

725 posts

RE: Monmouth County Proposed Fossil Regs

I hear you on that Keith, it is a discouraging situation in the NorthEast. I would mention I have heard more fossil horror stories coming out of Virginia than of New Jersey, but that's beside the point. I think most fossil collectors would agree on certain things. It's not good policy to dig in the banks of streams. We all might be tempted or even do it once in a while, but I think most would agree it's not a good idea. And then there is the question of how many fossils to take. In the cretaceous streams around here there are lots of belemnites. Once you've collected a few, unless you find a really really nice one, you leave them where they are. I have heard stories of people saying they picked up hundreds upon hundreds of them, and I don't agree with that. I like walking in a stream and seeing the amber reflections in the water and thinking some kid could come along and have the pleasure of finding some. But the "5 fossil limit" is pretty silly and I seriously doubt if anyone will comply with it.

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