[NHCOLL-L:3572] RE: NPS specimen ownership

[Furth, David]

I'm curious where the NSCA has moved?  They were in our building until
very recently and I understand that their one office person has
resigned.

They have not been an effective voice for the collections community like
the ASC was.

Our Museum does not accept specimens from the National Parks because of
their propriety policy.  They do not seem to recognize that we are a
federal collection.

For insects the Lacey Act did not include insects as "wildlife" until
1981.  So NPS cannot claim ownership until after that year.

******************************************************
David G. Furth, Ph.D.
Department of Entomology
MRC 165, P.O. Box 37012
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, D. C. 20013-7012  USA
Phone: 202-633-0990
Fax: 202-786-2894
Email: furthd at si.edu
Website: www.entomology.si.edu 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Roberta Faul-Zeitler
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 10:16 AM
To: chole001 at umn.edu; 'nat hist listserv'
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:3569] RE: NPS specimen ownership


I am curious whether anyone has contacted the Natural Science
Collections
Alliance to ask their board to address this situation. 

Here is the link to the Board list:

http://www.nscalliance.org/about/board.asp

There are representative from 10 of the largest natural history museums
on
the NSCA Board.

Bobbie Faul-Zeitler





-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu]
On Behalf Of Anita F. Cholewa
Sent: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 8:56 AM
To: nat hist listserv
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:3568] NPS specimen ownership


I've already run into a snag with this NPS policy.
It is my understanding that their "ownership" starts with the year 1983 
when the law (36 CFR 2.5 -if there's a different law reference I'd 
appreciate it) was passed, so that anything (biological specimens 
anyway) collected before that year is not to be considered federal
property.
However, I've just received a request from a Park regarding specimens 
that had been collected in the 1970s and even much earlier, that they 
are claiming as their property. 
Can the date of "ownership" be clarified please?

Anita
__________
Anita F. Cholewa, Ph.D.
Curator of the herbarium
Bell Museum of Natural History
University of Minnesota
1445 Gortner Ave
ST PAUL MN 55108-1095