Like protective legislation concerning Native American materials, which forced museums and archaeologists to deal with issues of collecting and ownership, this bill has accelerated the dialogue among fossil hunters. The impact on museum collections would be disastrous. Museum field parties and amateur collectors working with museums cannot compete with commercial teams, and museum acquisition budgets cannot match market prices. Fossils and the knowledge they offer about the past would be lost to science and the public. D.C. Although there was general support for stiffened penalties and required permits for reconnaissance collecting, little progress was or could be made in that forum.
Fossils obviously trigger great passion among many people.
But passion can get in the way of progress. Resolving issues that affect their protection is an important goal. Beneficial working relationships can be achieved and are best pursued outside the context of H.R. 2943. The bill's sponsors can claim victory in that they have managed to get people to talk to each other. Beyond that, the bill is useless.