Hal Croves
Silver Member
- Sep 25, 2010
- 2,659
- 2,699
6.Never, ever trust anything that any government employee or agent with discretionary authority says. Don't contact any of them prior to your venture.
Perform your expedition, being careful to follow all published rules and regulations to a T for the area(s) you're investigating. Assign a team member to video all aspects of the project - add timestamp and geotag to all media. Map the entire locale and document all finds in situ, being careful to not disturb any structural or natural components, per published regulations. Be certain no damage or artifact removals have occurred, and that you can prove it. 1. Do everything by the book. When you've found what you came for and have the data, leave and keep your collective mouths shut.
Prepare a quality presentation that reveals all you want to say - 2. a high-res video documentary, a report, a book, a lecture, an exhibition, or all these. Hire a professional if necessary and get a credentialed and open-minded archaeologist or historian on board (if you can find one). Release your presentation to the public, 3. after absolving yourself of any legal liabilities that might be levied against you by any parties for divulging the location(s) of your discoveries.
If your claims have legs, 4. the government will be obliged to 1) admit your discoveries are significant (which will add credibility to your claims); and 2) oblige them to develop plans that will protect the site(s) and encourage them and others to advance their own interpretations of the data. The debates will follow. 5. You may be left in the dust at this point, but your original work, if done correctly, will be available as a baseline for all to use.
1. Get a permit.
2. When is a permit required for commercial filming? “Creation of a product for sale, including a film, videotape, digital image, television broadcast, or documentary (e.g. wildlife, natural or historic features, etc.) created for the purpose of generating income;”. If you are not looking to generate revenue from your efforts, why not. Think ahead!
3. They wouldn’t have to if they “followed all published rules and regulations to a T”. Follow this logic and factor in attorney fees, fines and whatever it takes to absolve oneself of legal liabilities. Could take years and $$$$.
4. Should your discovery have “legs”, these things would be self evident. Protecting cultural heritage sites is their (the FS) collective motivation. And today, the pressure of social media is enough to straighten even the most crooked arrow.
5. Yes, you most certainly will.
6. A sad commentary for sure.
I wouldn’t follow this advice if I were looking to recover some of the expensives involved, but ultimately they will choose their own path. Either way, I wish them success.