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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Dear Members:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>The below is slightly tangential to NHCOLL, but I know there are more than a few paleontology curators and preparators here, so it seemed worth a try.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Fossil News: The Journal of Avocational Paleontology</span></i><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'> is looking for one or more writers willing to discuss and explain the situation with (relatively new) regulations regarding protection of public lands and “casual” fossil collecting, including those officially promulgated by the BLM, NPS, and USFS and/or at some stage of the approval process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Massive amounts of inaccurate and half-digested information are circulating among collectors and in online forums, and we’d like simply to try to bring some clarity to all that:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>What do the regulations say?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>What do they change?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>What is their potential impact?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Is there anything that can be done to change them, or is it a fait accompli?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>I can imagine either a single article, several shorter pieces that focus on different aspects of the situation, or a forum that presents contrasting views.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Above all, what <i>Fossil News</i> would like to do is offer our readers reliable information that is as up-to-date as is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>I’d be very pleased to hear from any list members in private at fossilnews@fourcatspress.com. My apologies in advance if you receive multiple postings of this request.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Wendell</span><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>____________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Wendell Ricketts<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>Editor & Publisher<br><i>Fossil News: The Journal of Avocational Paleontology<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'>FourCatsPress.com/FossilNews<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>@Fossil_News (Twitter)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>