[Nhcoll-l] DOI survey

[Ellen Paul]

Many of you have now received a survey from the Department of the 
Interior in furtherance of its effort to locate and account for "DOI 
Museum Objects."

The introduction to the survey states that:

This language ameliorates, to a large extent, the concern raised (by the 
Ornithological Council and others) as to the lack of certainty about the 
factual information needed to determine if, in fact, a given item was 
collected on public property managed by the DOI. We thank the DOI, and 
in particular, Elizabeth Varner, Terry Childs, and Steven Floray, for 
recognizing this concern.

The survey itself asks if you know/suspect that your institution holds 
materials from DOI-managed lands and allows you to answer maybe.  This, 
too, allows you to provide the requested information without having to 
engage in laborious investigation as to the precise locations from which 
objects were collected and the legal status of that location at the time 
of collection.

We strongly urge all ornithological institutions and collections to 
complete the survey and return it to DOI but we also suggest that when 
doing so, you include the following language (subject to consultation 
with your general counsel):

/Participation by [name of institution] or its staff members in this 
survey and/or inventories does not constitute an admission that any 
particular object is, in fact, a "DOI Museum Object." Inclusion of 
information in museum databases, BISON, VertNet or similar databases 
that suggests that a particular object is, in fact, a "DOI Museum 
Object" is to be regarded only as an indication that the item may be a 
"DOI Museum Object." However, for any particular object thought to be a 
"DOI Museum Object," further research is needed to determine the legal 
status of the land unit at the time the item was collected. //Given the 
lack of precise location data for many objects, it may not be possible 
to determine, on a factual basis, if the place where an item was 
collected was, in fact, DOI-managed public land at the time of collection. /

Ellen

-- 
Ellen Paul

Ellen Paul

Executive Director

Ornithological Council <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.nmnh.si.edu_BIRDNET&d=CwICaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=CLFZJ3fvGSmDp7xK1dNZfh6uGV_h-8NVlo3fXNoRNzI&m=oxkUCYW1Vph35DbP0MO2yIdGcpilJTstdNNVDGIKvAA&s=KS944788iT_9EsEGxg_72Xb-SoaLFiD5KmLYwiFu7uw&e= >

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