OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2000

Stephanie Hanna (O) 202/208-6416
or John Wright

REMAINS OF ANCIENT LIFE NEED BETTER PROTECTION
New Technologies Can Make Federal Fossil Collections More Accessible for Research and Education

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced that today he is providing Congress with a report on federal policy concerning fossils that was requested in Senate report language for the FY 1999 appropriation bill. The report was prepared by seven federal agencies: Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service and the Smithsonian Institution, and benefitted from extensive public review and comment from paleontologists, museum associations, amateur collectors, commercial groups and others.

Seven basic principles were identified for governing fossil management in the future:

• Fossils on federal land are a part of America's heritage;
  
• Most vertebrate fossils are rare;
  
• Some invertebrate and plant fossils are rare;
  
• Effective stewardship requires accurate information;
  
• Federal fossil management should emphasize opportunities for public involvement;
  
• Federal fossil collections should be preserved and available for research and public education;
  
• Penalties for fossil theft should be strengthened
  

"For the first time our public land management agencies have come forward together with recommendations to stop deterioration and loss of fossils and promote science and education," Babbitt said. "Too often, America's fossil treasure chests have been robbed, damaged or neglected because there was no consistent guidance or support for resource managers on the ground. More is needed to protect the best information we have about our deepest past."

In his open letter published with the report, Secretary Babbitt asked Congress to consider the merits of action on a framework for fossils analogous to the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. Secretary Babbitt's letter stated, in addition, that the Congress should consider "the need for stiffer penalties for those who damage and steal certain fossils and more resources to enforce the law; the need to move forward with cost-effective new technologies for research and conservation; the need for regional studies and partnerships with amateurs and the academic community; and the need to do a better job at inventory and monitoring of fossil resources."

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