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Fwd: Paleo in Grand Staircase-Escalate Nat. Monument>>read and weep!
In a message dated 9/7/99 2:19:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
nrugs.jkirklan@state.ut.us writes:
> I thought this would be of interest. Probably should be considered a new
> issue for SAFE. From today's Deseret News.
>
> http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/1,1249,115007501,00.html?
>
> Monument plan could doom dinosaur digs
>
> Conflicts over use of area worry researcher
>
> By Jerry Spangler
> Deseret News staff writer
>
> When President Clinton created the Grand Staircase-
> Escalante National Monument in southern Utah, he
> marveled at the paleontological treasures that would be
> preserved for scientific study.
> In fact, he listed the study of ancient fossils as
one
> of the primary reasons for creating the monument.
> But when a final monument management plan is adopted
> later this year, almost half of the 1.9 million-acre
> monument will likely be off limits to large-scale
> paleontological excavations, as well as some archaeological
> research.
> And there is nothing monument managers can do about
it.
> "There is no problem with going out and doing
research,"
> said monument manager Jerry Meredith. "But
> there could be problems if excavations were involved."
> That's because provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act
> preclude most activities that disturb the ground or
> use mechanized equipment. And almost 900,000 acres of the
> monument fall under provisions of the act as
> wilderness study areas.
> "Wilderness trumps anything in the monument plan,"
> Meredith said. "It (paleontological excavations)
> wasn't permitted before the creation of the monument) and
the
> same rules apply now."
> Former Utah state paleontologist Dave Gillette, now a
> researcher at the Museum of Northern Arizona,
> has some serious concerns about the apparent conflict
between
> regulations protecting wilderness study areas
> and mandates for scientific research. Especially
paleontology.
>
> "It is virtually impossible to conduct
paleontological
> research without vehicle access and without the use of
> mechanized equipment," Gillette said. "In my view it is an
> impediment anytime you limit access to a research
> site or limit the tools that can be used." Gillette says
the
> science of paleontology is focused toward data that
> are both verifiable and repeatable. And the only way that
can
> happen is to maintain collections of specimens
> recovered through excavation.
> Paleontologists can look at the fossils all they
want,
> but if they can't analyze them in a laboratory and
> compare them to samples from around the world, "it defeats
> the purpose of paleontological research," Gillette
> said.
> In fact, the leave-it-in-the-ground philosophy does
> nothing more than "encourages the preservation of
> ignorance," Gillette said.
> Advocates for Utah wilderness say they are unaware
that
> wilderness designations or wilderness study
> areas have thwarted scientific research. In fact, they
point
> to endorsements by the Utah Professional
> Archaeological Council for large wilderness as a way to
> reduce access and thereby preserve archaeological
> sites.
> They argue the principles of no mechanized equipment
> and no road access should apply equally to
> scientific research just as any other use. And there should
> be no exceptions for the monument.
> "The scientific mandates of Grand Staircase do not
> involve large scale excavations to remove dinosaur
> bones or archaeological resources," said Heidi McIntosh,
> conservation director for the Southern Utah
> Wilderness Alliance.
> "Rather, the mandate is to protect these sites. There
> is nothing to say that sites cannot be investigated, just
> that there be no motorized or mechanized means. They can
use
> small shovels and picks and brushes."
> She said most research can be done by horseback
rather
> than trucks and that field camps can get by with
> primitive equipment. "Basically, they would be in there
with
> candles," she said.
> Gillette says those expectations are pretty hard to
> meet when trying to extract fossil bone from sandstone
> bedrock. Paleontologists normally use jackhammers, earth
> movers and trucks to haul away the stone blocks,
> many of them weighing several tons.
> Archaeologists also use a variety of mechanized
> equipment in their research, although archaeological
> excavations often lend themselves more to shovels and
brushes.
> But there is still the wilderness mandate that
> they not disturb the ground in any substantial or
noticeable
> way.
> State archaeologist Kevin Jones said the wilderness
> restrictions have not proven a significant obstacle to
> archaeological research. He's done several projects in
> proposed wilderness areas, and horseback access has
> proven sufficient.
> "But I can see where paleontologists would have a
much
> tougher time," he said. "It's impossible to remove
> a 2000-pound block of stone with a hammer and chisel, and
> then carry it on your back."
> It would also be a problem if geologists wanted to
> drill cores to look at layered formations, or if those
> reconstructing ancient climates needed to drill for pollen
> records.
> The apparent conflict between science and wilderness
> has come to the attention of the Subcommittee on
> National Parks and Public Lands, chaired by Rep. Jim
Hansen,
> R-Utah. And Hansen is sympathetic to
> scientists' needs.
> "It was never the intent of the 1964 Wilderness Act
to
> prohibit scientific research. Absolutely not," said
> Allen Freemeyr, staff director for the committee. "In fact,
> the act talks about scientific values."
> Freemeyr said there have been attempts in the past to
> modify the Wilderness Act to allow for fences to
> protect cultural sites and signs to educate visitors about
> their sensitivity. But every attempt was met by
> withering opposition from environmental groups.
> "I expect the same will happen if we try to address
the
> concerns of scientists," he said.
> Ironically, the 3.2 million acres of wilderness study
> areas throughout Utah are managed according to
> guidelines much stricter than if they were official
> wilderness areas. Because Congress has not acted on the
> study areas, land managers must apply all the rules and
> regulations to preserve all options if and when
> Congress does act.
> If the lands were designated wilderness areas,
> exceptions to certain rules and regulations could be written
> into the act. For example, the language creating the Lone
> Peak Wilderness Area along the Wasatch Front has
> specific exceptions for sanitary facilities and water
quality
> protection.
> The same could be done to allow scientific research
> inside the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
> Monument.
> Complicating the matter further, the litany of rules
> and regulations regarding wilderness and wilderness
> study areas have even seasoned land managers confused.
> For example, one portion of the regulations states
that
> archaeological and paleontological excavations and
> other ground-disturbing activities can be allowed as
> indicated in the "nonimpairment criteria." But when you
> look up that criteria, there are no exceptions for
> paleontology or archaeology.
> "Bureaucratic double-speak," said one Bureau of Land
> Management official. "It makes no sense at all."
> That is why different land managers interpret the
> findings in different ways. For example, the New Mexico
> BLM granted Gillette a permit to excavate a huge dinosaur
> fossil in a wilderness study area, even granting him
> permission to use a small earth-mover to speed the
excavation.
>
> That project, which resulted in one of the most
> important dinosaur discoveries ever, was delayed
> repeatedly by legal challenges from environmentalists who
> challenged the BLM interpretation.
> If Gillette wants to excavate in a proposed
wilderness
> area in the new monument, Meredith's
> interpretation might well be different.
> "If someone wants to dig and haul off something
inside
> a WSA, there will be a problem," Meredith said.
> "But it would be a problem whether it was a monument or
not."
>
> Jim Kirkland
> State Paleontologist
> Utah Geological Survey
>
--- Begin Message ---
I thought this would be of interest. Probably should be considered a new issue
for SAFE. From today's Deseret News.
http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/1,1249,115007501,00.html?
Monument plan could doom dinosaur digs
Conflicts over use of area worry researcher
By Jerry Spangler
Deseret News staff writer
When President Clinton created the Grand
Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah, he
marveled at the paleontological treasures that would be
preserved for scientific study.
In fact, he listed the study of ancient fossils as one of
the primary reasons for creating the monument.
But when a final monument management plan is adopted later
this year, almost half of the 1.9 million-acre
monument will likely be off limits to large-scale
paleontological excavations, as well as some archaeological
research.
And there is nothing monument managers can do about it.
"There is no problem with going out and doing research,"
said monument manager Jerry Meredith. "But
there could be problems if excavations were involved."
That's because provisions of the 1964 Wilderness Act
preclude most activities that disturb the ground or
use mechanized equipment. And almost 900,000 acres of the
monument fall under provisions of the act as
wilderness study areas.
"Wilderness trumps anything in the monument plan,"
Meredith said. "It (paleontological excavations)
wasn't permitted before the creation of the monument) and the
same rules apply now."
Former Utah state paleontologist Dave Gillette, now a
researcher at the Museum of Northern Arizona,
has some serious concerns about the apparent conflict between
regulations protecting wilderness study areas
and mandates for scientific research. Especially paleontology.
"It is virtually impossible to conduct paleontological
research without vehicle access and without the use of
mechanized equipment," Gillette said. "In my view it is an
impediment anytime you limit access to a research
site or limit the tools that can be used." Gillette says the
science of paleontology is focused toward data that
are both verifiable and repeatable. And the only way that can
happen is to maintain collections of specimens
recovered through excavation.
Paleontologists can look at the fossils all they want, but
if they can't analyze them in a laboratory and
compare them to samples from around the world, "it defeats the
purpose of paleontological research," Gillette
said.
In fact, the leave-it-in-the-ground philosophy does
nothing more than "encourages the preservation of
ignorance," Gillette said.
Advocates for Utah wilderness say they are unaware that
wilderness designations or wilderness study
areas have thwarted scientific research. In fact, they point to
endorsements by the Utah Professional
Archaeological Council for large wilderness as a way to reduce
access and thereby preserve archaeological
sites.
They argue the principles of no mechanized equipment and
no road access should apply equally to
scientific research just as any other use. And there should be
no exceptions for the monument.
"The scientific mandates of Grand Staircase do not involve
large scale excavations to remove dinosaur
bones or archaeological resources," said Heidi McIntosh,
conservation director for the Southern Utah
Wilderness Alliance.
"Rather, the mandate is to protect these sites. There is
nothing to say that sites cannot be investigated, just
that there be no motorized or mechanized means. They can use
small shovels and picks and brushes."
She said most research can be done by horseback rather
than trucks and that field camps can get by with
primitive equipment. "Basically, they would be in there with
candles," she said.
Gillette says those expectations are pretty hard to meet
when trying to extract fossil bone from sandstone
bedrock. Paleontologists normally use jackhammers, earth movers
and trucks to haul away the stone blocks,
many of them weighing several tons.
Archaeologists also use a variety of mechanized equipment
in their research, although archaeological
excavations often lend themselves more to shovels and brushes.
But there is still the wilderness mandate that
they not disturb the ground in any substantial or noticeable way.
State archaeologist Kevin Jones said the wilderness
restrictions have not proven a significant obstacle to
archaeological research. He's done several projects in proposed
wilderness areas, and horseback access has
proven sufficient.
"But I can see where paleontologists would have a much
tougher time," he said. "It's impossible to remove
a 2000-pound block of stone with a hammer and chisel, and then
carry it on your back."
It would also be a problem if geologists wanted to drill
cores to look at layered formations, or if those
reconstructing ancient climates needed to drill for pollen
records.
The apparent conflict between science and wilderness has
come to the attention of the Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands, chaired by Rep. Jim Hansen,
R-Utah. And Hansen is sympathetic to
scientists' needs.
"It was never the intent of the 1964 Wilderness Act to
prohibit scientific research. Absolutely not," said
Allen Freemeyr, staff director for the committee. "In fact, the
act talks about scientific values."
Freemeyr said there have been attempts in the past to
modify the Wilderness Act to allow for fences to
protect cultural sites and signs to educate visitors about their
sensitivity. But every attempt was met by
withering opposition from environmental groups.
"I expect the same will happen if we try to address the
concerns of scientists," he said.
Ironically, the 3.2 million acres of wilderness study
areas throughout Utah are managed according to
guidelines much stricter than if they were official wilderness
areas. Because Congress has not acted on the
study areas, land managers must apply all the rules and
regulations to preserve all options if and when
Congress does act.
If the lands were designated wilderness areas, exceptions
to certain rules and regulations could be written
into the act. For example, the language creating the Lone Peak
Wilderness Area along the Wasatch Front has
specific exceptions for sanitary facilities and water quality
protection.
The same could be done to allow scientific research inside
the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument.
Complicating the matter further, the litany of rules and
regulations regarding wilderness and wilderness
study areas have even seasoned land managers confused.
For example, one portion of the regulations states that
archaeological and paleontological excavations and
other ground-disturbing activities can be allowed as indicated
in the "nonimpairment criteria." But when you
look up that criteria, there are no exceptions for paleontology
or archaeology.
"Bureaucratic double-speak," said one Bureau of Land
Management official. "It makes no sense at all."
That is why different land managers interpret the findings
in different ways. For example, the New Mexico
BLM granted Gillette a permit to excavate a huge dinosaur fossil
in a wilderness study area, even granting him
permission to use a small earth-mover to speed the excavation.
That project, which resulted in one of the most important
dinosaur discoveries ever, was delayed
repeatedly by legal challenges from environmentalists who
challenged the BLM interpretation.
If Gillette wants to excavate in a proposed wilderness
area in the new monument, Meredith's
interpretation might well be different.
"If someone wants to dig and haul off something inside a
WSA, there will be a problem," Meredith said.
"But it would be a problem whether it was a monument or not."
Jim Kirkland
State Paleontologist
Utah Geological Survey
--- End Message ---