Nebraskaland

March 2024 • Nebraskaland 47 good gem shows, and there's also a really neat four-day gem swap in Crawford," Wooldridge said. He recommends two books: Minerals and Gemstones of Nebraska: A Handbook for Students and Collectors by Roger K. Pabian and Allan Cook (1976), and Record in Rock: A Handbook of the Invertebrate Fossils of Nebraska by Roger K. Pabian (1970). Both can be downloaded for free from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Digital Commons. A Day in the Field On a sunny October day, Wooldridge and fellow members of the Lincoln Gem and Mineral Club spent a day rockhounding along the Big Nemaha River. The group was mostly quiet, carefully picking their way along the gravel bed. Every so often, someone would shout out "Laker!", signaling that they'd found a Lake Superior agate, and everyone would stop to admire it. The biggest fi nd of the day belonged to Corey Beer of Lincoln, who spotted a 4,000- to 8,000-year-old knife. "That's by far the best artifact I've ever found," Beer said. "I'm over-the-top thrilled." As the day stretched into late afternoon, people began to pack up for the day — but not Beer. Watching him still busy looking, Wooldridge commented, "When you start fi nding things, it's hard to quit." It's all part of the adventure for a rockhound. N Rockhounding Rules and Regulations • Respect private property rights and do not trespass. Obtain permission before collecting on any private lands. • Rockhounds are allowed to collect rocks and agates — but not fossils, artifacts or meteorites — on U.S. Forest Service lands in Nebraska without a permit, for personal, hobby and noncommercial use only. This includes the Nebraska National Forest, the Oglala National Grasslands and Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest. You may remove no more than 25 pounds of rock per day and up to 250 pounds per year. Selling your finds is not allowed, nor is digging. For other uses of rock material, such as landscaping or rock gardening, contact the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands Supervisor's Office at 308-432-0300, as a permit may be required. • Rockhounding also is allowed on the 5,100 acres in Nebraska managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Noncommercial collection of rocks, petrified wood, and common invertebrate and plant fossils is allowed, but you may not collect artifacts or vertebrate fossils. Only gather invertebrate fossils and plant fossils not of scientific interest in reasonable amounts for personal use. You can also collect up to 25 pounds of petrified wood per day, not to exceed 250 pounds per year. While rockhounding is legal on BLM lands in Nebraska, it's important to point out the public may not always have access to these lands. BLM-managed lands in Nebraska consist of small, isolated parcels scattered across the state and legal access to them is extremely limited, as they are typically surrounded by private land with no public roads, trails or adjoining lands to reach them. It's up to you to know where you are — use maps, GPS or a landownership app to avoid trespassing. You can find a map of Nebraska's BLM properties at blm.gov/maps. • Collecting materials is not allowed at Nebraska's state park areas or wildlife management areas. It is also not permitted at national wildlife refuges or lands managed by the National Park Service, including national monuments. • Not sure if rockhounding is permitted at a particular site? It's your job to know; always do your research first and ask permission if needed. • Mine Safety and Health Administration regulations make access to private pits, quarries and mines unlikely or impossible. Mike and Donitte Stiles of Lincoln hold a rock containing fossils (left) and a fossil bone (right) that they discovered on a gravel bed. It was their fi rst time rockhounding.

• Cover