Leave Nothing but Footprints: Take Nothing but Photos
This email will explain a bit about "leave no trace" and what it means in the back country and give some tips on how you can be a good steward of the land while recreating. --State Parks Motto is "Protect and Respect" Many of you are new to back-country experiences, so this might be helpful.
We should observe the following:
Hobby Collecting of Rocks, Meteorites, Artifacts, and Fossils
On National Forest System Lands
ROCKS AND AGATESRock hunting (surface collection of rocks and agates, excluding meteorites and fossils), for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use only, is allowed without a permit. Limitations are one five gallon bucket per day per person with a total limit of 250 pounds of rock per year. For other uses of rock material, contact the local Forest Service Office. Trading, bartering, or selling rocks and agates from National Forest System Lands is not allowed.
METEORITES
Meteorite is a stony or metallic object from interplanetary space that has fallen to the earth’s surface. The collection of meteorites for personal, hobby, educational, and noncommercial use is allowed without a permit.
ARTIFACTSArcheological resource means any material remains of prehistoric or historic human life or activities, which are at least 50 years old, and includes the physical site, location, or context in which they are found (36 CFR 261.2).
The collection of projectile points, pottery, or any other archeological resource or artifact is not allowed (36 CFR 261.9 (h) without a permit. Projectile points include ‘arrowheads’ and any prehistoric human-modified stone.
FOSSILSFossil (Paleontological) resource means any evidence of fossilized remains of multicellular invertebrate and vertebrate animals and multicellular plants, including imprints thereof (36 CFR 261.2). There are four major types of fossils:ichnofossil (a.k.a. imprint or trace fossil), plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate.
Ichnofossils (or trace fossils) are typically sedimentary structures consisting of a fossilized track, trail, burrow, or tube resulting from the life activities and behavior of an animal, such as a mark made by an invertebrate creeping, feeding, hiding, or resting on or in soft sediment. Some non-sedimentary examples include tooth marks (resulting from predation), skin impressions, and coprolites (fossil dung).
Fossil plants are the fossilized remains of all parts of a plant. Petrified wood is a common term used for wood fossilized by silica, where the woody structure is visible. A permit is not required to collect petrified wood for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use. A permit may be required to remove petrified wood from National Forest System Lands for non-personal, scientific, and commercial purposes.
Invertebrate fossils are the fossilized remains of animals lacking a backbone. A few examples include: ammonites, trilobites, snails, clams, and insects. Invertebrate and plant fossils (including invertebrate and plant trace fossils) may be collected without a permit, from the surface without digging and for personal, hobby, educational, and noncommercial use only. A permit is required for research/scientific purposes.
Vertebrate fossils are the fossilized remains of any animal having a bony skeleton or backbone such as: fish (includes sharks and rays), amphibians, reptiles (including dinosaurs, mosasaurs, and turtles), birds, mammals, and all trace fossils from vertebrate animals, such as dinosaur tracks.
The collection and/or duplication of vertebrate fossils, including vertebrate trace fossils, from National Forest System Lands requires a permit (36 CFR 261.9 (i)). Permits are issued to qualified paleontologists, who curate fossils and their duplicates into federally approved facilities.
No permits for the collection of any fossils (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, or any trace fossils) are issued for commercial purposes, except for petrified wood. Trading, bartering, or selling any fossil material (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, or any trace fossils) removed from National Forest System Lands is prohibited.
We should observe the following:
- Leave no trace: Pack it in, pack it out (leave no garbage and don't bury it). Consider packing out other garbage you see along the trail. Read more
- Do not feed wildlife: they become pests and dependent on human food
- For personal hygiene/bathrooms, we need to carry out our toilet paper. I have noticed at several trail heads that some of us are leaving our waste. If you prefer, just go without toilet paper and use the "drip dry" method with a panty liner. Some use a Go Girl or a She Wee but a panty liner still comes in handy. Number 2 should be buried or at least placed under rocks/tree limbs. In some areas, carrying out human waste is required. Leaders will inform participants if this is the case.
- Please don't take anything from the parks, state or federal. It is against the law. Take pictures instead. (See below for Forest Service,which allows some collection) (State Parks: "No person may destroy, injure, remove or otherwise damage any natural or other state park property,[ natural or manmade]. Persons cannot willfully or negligently cut or destroy any tree, shrub or plant, or geological, historical, or archaeological feature.") See more For National Parks, no resources may be taken, even for educational purposes. Some exceptions are allowed for research but require a permit: "No collecting of park geologic resources for classroom educational purposes is permitted. Under Federal law, all park features and resources are protected. Anyone with information about illegal activities or who would like to report suspicious activity in the national parks should call 1-888-NPS-CRIME (888-677-2746). You may speak directly to a ranger or remain anonymous when reporting these activities. Collecting for scientific research requires a Scientific Research and Collecting permit." National Forest land does allow harvesting of some resources for personal purposes, for example, rocks, petrified wood and fossils. "Limited collection1/ of rocks and minerals for personal use is allowed on most National Forest System lands. These materials may be collected without a permit provided the collecting is for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use. For commercial2/ or other uses of rock material, contact the local Forest Service Office." Read more Fossils and petrified wood are allowed if for personal use; however, artifacts, such as arrowheads, rock paintings, pottery shards are not allowed. (see end of email for more details)
- Enjoy a few edible plants. In general, consume 10% of the resource. Leave the rest for the animals who rely on them to survive.
- Travel in smaller groups. Wilderness and parks are maximum 15; some sensitive wildlife and flora areas have a limit of 12.
- Washing: no washing with any products in streams and lakes, even with biodegradable soap. Rinsing only. If you must wash, such as dishes, you need to be at least 200 feet from any water source or ravine that will have water in it in the springtime, and you must use biodegradable soap, collecting the gray water in a basin. Disperse the water along the ground after washing at least 200 feet from above mentioned sources. Another option is to use disposable wipes, but you must pack them out: no burning or burying. For toothbrushing, stay 200 feet from a stream and disperse the toothpaste by spitting over several areas. More on personal hygeine on trail.
Hobby Collecting of Rocks, Meteorites, Artifacts, and Fossils
On National Forest System Lands
ROCKS AND AGATESRock hunting (surface collection of rocks and agates, excluding meteorites and fossils), for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use only, is allowed without a permit. Limitations are one five gallon bucket per day per person with a total limit of 250 pounds of rock per year. For other uses of rock material, contact the local Forest Service Office. Trading, bartering, or selling rocks and agates from National Forest System Lands is not allowed.
METEORITES
Meteorite is a stony or metallic object from interplanetary space that has fallen to the earth’s surface. The collection of meteorites for personal, hobby, educational, and noncommercial use is allowed without a permit.
ARTIFACTSArcheological resource means any material remains of prehistoric or historic human life or activities, which are at least 50 years old, and includes the physical site, location, or context in which they are found (36 CFR 261.2).
The collection of projectile points, pottery, or any other archeological resource or artifact is not allowed (36 CFR 261.9 (h) without a permit. Projectile points include ‘arrowheads’ and any prehistoric human-modified stone.
FOSSILSFossil (Paleontological) resource means any evidence of fossilized remains of multicellular invertebrate and vertebrate animals and multicellular plants, including imprints thereof (36 CFR 261.2). There are four major types of fossils:ichnofossil (a.k.a. imprint or trace fossil), plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate.
Ichnofossils (or trace fossils) are typically sedimentary structures consisting of a fossilized track, trail, burrow, or tube resulting from the life activities and behavior of an animal, such as a mark made by an invertebrate creeping, feeding, hiding, or resting on or in soft sediment. Some non-sedimentary examples include tooth marks (resulting from predation), skin impressions, and coprolites (fossil dung).
Fossil plants are the fossilized remains of all parts of a plant. Petrified wood is a common term used for wood fossilized by silica, where the woody structure is visible. A permit is not required to collect petrified wood for personal, hobby, and noncommercial use. A permit may be required to remove petrified wood from National Forest System Lands for non-personal, scientific, and commercial purposes.
Invertebrate fossils are the fossilized remains of animals lacking a backbone. A few examples include: ammonites, trilobites, snails, clams, and insects. Invertebrate and plant fossils (including invertebrate and plant trace fossils) may be collected without a permit, from the surface without digging and for personal, hobby, educational, and noncommercial use only. A permit is required for research/scientific purposes.
Vertebrate fossils are the fossilized remains of any animal having a bony skeleton or backbone such as: fish (includes sharks and rays), amphibians, reptiles (including dinosaurs, mosasaurs, and turtles), birds, mammals, and all trace fossils from vertebrate animals, such as dinosaur tracks.
The collection and/or duplication of vertebrate fossils, including vertebrate trace fossils, from National Forest System Lands requires a permit (36 CFR 261.9 (i)). Permits are issued to qualified paleontologists, who curate fossils and their duplicates into federally approved facilities.
No permits for the collection of any fossils (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, or any trace fossils) are issued for commercial purposes, except for petrified wood. Trading, bartering, or selling any fossil material (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, or any trace fossils) removed from National Forest System Lands is prohibited.