"FLORIDA ISOLATED FINDS DISCONTINUED -- IMPORTANT!"

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Please Register or Login Be careful! They will catch a lot of people napping by discontinuing the Isolated Finds forms . . .
May 25, 2005

Dear Friends of Florida Archaeology:

The Florida Historical Commission, at its May 21, 2005 meeting, considered three options regarding the Isolated Finds Program currently operated by the Division of Historical Resources. The Commission reviewed input received since its last meeting on April 7, 2005 and heard testimony from interested parties. The options considered were identified by the Bureau of Archaeological Research, namely: 1) discontinue the Isolated Finds Program, with no substitute program to take its place; 2) formalize the existing Isolated Finds Program guidelines as an agency rule with little or no modification; 3) develop a new permit-based program for river collecting formalized by the rule making process. The Commission, acting in its statutorily constituted role to provide assistance, advice, and recommendations to the Division in establishing priorities for the identification, acquisition, protection, and preservation of historic and archaeological sites and properties (? 267.0612, Florida Statutes), unanimously supported Option 1, and recommended that the Division discontinue the Isolated Finds Program.
The Division and Bureau of Archaeological Research have reviewed and accepted the recommendation of the Florida Historical Commission. Beginning June 1, 2005, the Division will discontinue the Isolated Finds Program (see ? 267.115(9), Florida Statutes, which states that ?the division may implement a program to administer finds of isolated historic artifacts from state-owned river bottoms whereby the division may transfer ownership of such artifacts to the finder in exchange for information about the artifacts and the circumstances and location of their discovery?). Removal of artifacts from sovereign submerged lands will no longer be allowed after that date; removal of artifacts from river bottoms and other sovereign submerged lands will be a first degree misdemeanor under ? 267.13(1)(a), Florida Statutes. The Division will accept Isolated Finds reporting forms through July 1, 2005. For additional information visit the Isolated Finds Program website at:

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Please note that all data reported through the Isolated Finds Program since 1996 is open to scholars and other interested individuals for public inspection. Further, the Division encourages artifact collectors to work with interested scholars to record their collections in lieu of the Isolated Finds Program.
Please feel free to submit any comments or questions in writing or by e-mail.

Sincerely,


Ryan J. Wheeler, Ph.D.
State Archaeologist and Chief,
Bureau of Archaeological Research

E-mail: rjwheeler@dos.state.fl.us

Guys -- please help by taking a trip around the web to the various forums and either post my letter below or one of your own similar with all the senator's email addresses -- anyone from any state can email on this and should! When you get a Florida Senator's autoresponder with their private or local address -- please take the time to copy your email, slip it into an envelope, and mail it to at least one senator -- they are very unused to this happening and count every letter done this way as 1000 votes . . . Important to spread the word and put the pressure on to get the form back -- or we are all criminals.

June 4 2005

Mr. Ryan J. Wheeler
State Archaeologist and Chief
Bureau of Archaeological Research
rjwheeler@dos.state.fl.us

Dear Mr. Wheeler,

I see that you have adopted a recommendation by the Florida Historical Commission to discontinue the Isolated Finds Program which allowed citizens a legal and secure way to report historic finds from river bottoms throughout the state. I note under the program it is the state's option to keep the find or return it -- no fee paid. Seems a pretty fair deal to me. I wonder if the State Senators on this list realize they've just made 2 million + divers who visit Florida every year law enforcement victims of petty archaeologists who simply cannot sit still for anyone finding anything without a degree . . . They had a legal means of reporting any significant finds -- now -- finds will simply be unreported, the find won't be logged, the site of the find will be unknown to the state, the citizenry will be unwilling to work with the state -- and everyone loses.

I wonder if the State Senators wish to be prosecuted for picking up an old Fanta or Coke bottle (50 years old).

I respectfully ask the Senators on this list to have the Division and Bureau of Archaeological Research continue with the Isolated Finds Form in perpetuity -- or -- start the wheels in motion to cut funding for the Division and Bureau of Archaeological Research. This is the program in question -- and the one that should be preserved so the citizenry can work with the state:

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As a side note on archaeologists -- and I have known many -- I have never known a single one that did not have significant artifacts in their personal possession and collection at home . . . Not a single one. And now -- we are opening prosecution of citizens for picking up anything from rusted square nails to old Coke bottles -- and don't let anyone tell you this isn't the road we're on by discontinuing that form.

Sincerely,


Matt Mattson

P.O. Box 5226
Spring Hill, Fl 34611
flagold@gate.net

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I anchored this topic and archived the last one to keep this one clean so people can copy and post it on other forums or email it. All responses to the old topic are below, and if you want to reply to this one -- simply start a new topic on it -- I will be leaving shortly, so it is up to you folks to carry the water and get the word out. GOOD LUCK!

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michael34786
unregistered user
06-03-05, 09:12 AM (MDT)

1. "RE: Florida Isolated Finds Form -- IMPORTANT!"
In response to message #0

Damm, I hate those forms, you know how many forms I have to fill out for just my pulltabs.


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Kent
Member since 3-13-05
33 posts 06-03-05, 10:54 AM (MDT)

2. "RE: Florida Isolated Finds Form -- IMPORTANT!"
In response to message #1

Good old F.S. 267. Been a couple of years since I`ve read through it. Looks like that`s it. `...removal of artifacts from river bottoms and OTHER SOVEREIGN SUBMERGED LANDS...`(don`t rule out surface finds either). Kinda covers all the bases. Now read up on what the State considers an `artifact` in some of the links. Yup...even the word `coin` pops up. It`s sad to see this happen. Think of the 1000`s of people that collect shells,rocks,fossils,points,shark teeth,bits of bone,petrified wood and such. Think of all the information that will not be shared by forcing collectors completely underground. What a loss for ALL of us...not just the State. Expect the FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) to enforce this with a heavy hand.


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Marv
unregistered user
06-03-05, 05:22 PM (MDT)

3. "RE: Florida Isolated Finds Form -- IMPORTANT!"
In response to message #1

A very interesting thought. Mike if every one in Florida that owned a detector filled out an isolated form for finding a very rare pop top could we insist that the State investigate every one reported? HMMMMM I wonder.


If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
-- Samuel Adams, speech at the Philadelphia State House, August 1, 1776.


 


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