Title 43—Public Lands: Interior--Volume 1
PART 3620—FREE USE OF PETRIFIED WOOD
§ 3622.1   Program: General.
(a) Persons may collect limited quantities of petrified wood for noncommercial purposes under terms and conditions consistent with the preservation of significant deposits as a public recreational resource.
(b) The purchase of petrified wood for commercial purposes is provided for in § 3602.10 et seq. of this chapter.
§ 3622.2   Procedures; permits.
No application or permit for free use is required except for specimens over 250 pounds in weight. The authorized officer may issue permits, using the procedures of subpart 3604 of this chapter, for the removal of such specimens if the applicant certifies that they will be displayed to the public in a museum or similar institution.
§ 3622.3   Designation of areas.
(a) All public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation are open to or available for free use removal of petrified wood unless otherwise provided for by notice in the Federal Register. Free use areas under the jurisdiction of said Bureaus may be modified or cancelled by notices published in the Federal Register.
(b) The heads of other Bureaus in the Department of the Interior may publish in the Federal Register designations, modifications or cancellations of free use areas for petrified wood on lands under their jurisdiction.
(c) The Secretary of the Interior may designate, modify or cancel free use areas for petrified wood on public lands which are under the jurisdiction of other Federal departments or agencies, other than the Department of Agriculture, with the consent of the head of other Federal departments or agencies concerned, upon publication of notice in the Federal Register.
§ 3622.4   Collection rules.
(a) General. The authorized officer shall control the removal without charge of petrified wood from public lands using the following criteria:
(1) The maximum quantity of petrified wood that any one person is allowed to remove without charge per day is 25 pounds in weight plus one piece, provided that the maximum total amount that one person may remove in one calendar year shall not exceed 250 pounds. Pooling of quotas to obtain pieces larger than 250 pounds is not allowed.
(2) Except for holders of permits issued under subpart 3604 of this chapter to remove museum pieces, no person shall use explosives, power equipment, including, but not limited to, tractors, bulldozers, plows, power-shovels, semi-trailers or other heavy equipment for the excavation or removal of petrified wood.
(3) Petrified wood obtained under this section shall be for personal use and shall not be sold or bartered to commercial dealers.
(4) The collection of petrified wood shall be accomplished in a manner that prevents hazards to public health and safety, and minimizes and mitigates environmental damage.
(b) Additional rules. The head of the agency having jurisdiction over a free use area may establish and publish additional rules for collecting petrified wood for noncommercial purposes to supplement those included in paragraph (a) of this section.
The information collection requirements contained in part 3730 of Group 3700 have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3507 and assigned clearance number 1004-0110. The information is being collected to permit the authorized officer to determine whether an applicant is qualified to hold a lease for the exploration, development and utilization of minerals on all public lands withdrawn for power development. The information will be used to make this determination. A response is required to obtain a benefit.