In a message dated 12/3/98 11:40:33 PM Central Standard Time, Unio writes:
 
In a message dated 12/3/98 5:57:58 PM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
NET writes:
 
> Come on some of you museum and university guys, tell me I'm wrong.  Your
>  problem is not being prohibited from collecting, rather it is the
>  inability to get enough interested field workers from the ranks of
>  "collectors" to actually collect scientifically helpful material in a
>  rigorously structured and targeted, long term program regardless of the
>  target specie's utility for personal display.
 
[Sorry, but a premature click of the buttons on my laptop sent this before I
was finished.  Below are my complete comments.]
 
I am neither university nor museum personnel, but let me add my two cents
worth.  By and large obtaining permits does not hinder my work, but as I have
shared on this list previously my work has been hindered by the state of
Indiana which does not allow even biologists to retain even dead shells as
vouchers.  The problem we have run into there is that in annual surveys that I
do on the Ohio River on the Indiana side near Louisville, Kentucky we have
recovered specimens that were new state records or otherwise unique.  After
seeing our reports I inevitably receive requests from other researchers to
borrow our vouchers of these unique specimen.  I have had to refuse request
for specimens taken in the small area of the Ohio River that belongs to
Indiana, because I do not have vouchers from there.  I do have vouchers from
the Kentucky portion, but it seems the specimens in question are usually those
from Indiana waters.  We have endeavored to take photographs to verify our
findings, but alas, inevitably the photograph that does not turn out is the
one you need.
 
What I am saying that in some areas (I have heard similar tales from Ohio) the
regulatory agencies are apparently run by zealots that wouldn't know good
science if it bit them on the butt.  I would understand if our permit required
us to deposit all vouchers in a state museum.  That would be fair and our
finds would be verifiable, but we are not even allowed to do this.  This
really hit me hard last month when we did our annual survey.  While doing the
shoreline, qualitative survey we discovered an old commercial midden that had
been buried in the mud and then covered over.  The site had been uncovered by
erosion and exposed by unusually low water levels during our survey.  While
working the site I found two complete specimens of Obovaria retusa, still
relatively fresh despite their apparent age.  The freshwater enthusiasts on
this list will understand when I tell you that I literally cried when I left
the site and had to leave the specimens there on the Indiana shore.   What a
waste.
 
Doug Shelton
Alabama Malacological Research Center
2370-G Hillcrest Road #236
Mobile, AL 36695