Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page

T alk about strange weather...we have been having it, all across the country. My area received 8 inches of rain one night and lots of flood-

ing as a result. I do not think I have ever seen lush green grass on my lawn in August, but I have it this year. My Dogwood tree is turning orange, and I am not sure if it received too much water, it does not like the really cool evenings we have been having, or if it is just giving up.

But, this is PERFECT weather for rock hunting, and for attending gem & mineral shows. Hopefully, both are on the calendars for our Rockhounds!

Since fall is quickly approaching, every club needs to be thinking about where mem-bers can take field trips to hunt for that great stone, whether is it in the field or at a show. Each club should consider how to get members to learn something new. Is your club encouraging members to learn new lapidary skills, or learn about different rocks? Are the junior members meeting as a group and working on skills at their level? Are your members writing articles about their travel, their finding of a particular stone, or a beautiful cab or piece of jewelry they have made? (Don’t forget to publish these in your newsletter so they may be entered into the Bulletin Contest at the end of the year!)

Has your club planned its annual gem & mineral show for next year yet? Do you have a show theme, and various chairs lined up to do the work? Planning for the next Show should start immediately after the current show and involve more people in the club. Your annual show is a great way to let the public know what rockhounding is all about, and a great way to get new members. Getting new members at the show lets you know they are interested in rocks, and having them do a little job next year will work them up to a bigger job the following year.

As long as you are planning your shows, why not volunteer to host the RMFMS Conven-tion along with your show in 2015 or 2016. Starting early makes the jobs much easier! I have a paper available that gives a brief overview of the jobs involved and a brief time-

line for putting on the Convention. Email me, and I will send you a copy. My address is on the Officers page.

Are your programs already lined up for the rest of the year? If not, do not forget the RMFMS Program Library has some great resources, and they are available at a very reasonable cost. The Program Library booklet sent out with the Membership Directory to each club is just full of program helps.

Wow, so much to do. Isn’t rockhounding a fantastic hobby? I hope you are getting lots of information from your club, and you are participating in its programs, too. That is the best way to learn about rocks.

Rock on,

DeLane Cox

Inside this Issue:

Klicks & Klacks from the Editor 2

Bench Tips for Jewelry Making 2

Notes from the Show 3

Sticks & Stones 6

Rockhounding & ALAA 7

Where are the Competition Cases? 8

Member Night at the Museum 9

State Director Reports 10

Jr. ACROYs 11

Geologic Map Day 11

2014 Bulletin Contest 12

Trace Fossil Discovery Holds Clue 12

Cloth of Gold & Jewelry Cleaner 13

Carnelian 14

Playing Cards 15

Public Land Access—So Dakota 15

Public Land Access—CO & KS 16

Boy Unearths 5.16 ct Diamond 16

Colorado BLM Extension Date 17

Opportunity for Geologic Study 18

PPPP Chapbook 19

Reports—Officers & Committees 20

Shows & More 20

Officers & Committees 21

The official publication of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. The RMFMS is a regional member of the American Fed-eration of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and is issued monthly (except June and July). It is a privilege of membership of the RMFMS and cannot be exchanged by the editor for individual club newsletters from other regional federations. www.rmfms.org

Notes from the President by DeLane Cox

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 2

PUBLICATIONS

Editor:Betty Cain 2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave. Colo. Springs, CO 80909 719-634-8205 bettycain3@comcast.net

Circulation Manager: Bill Cain (see above) 719-322-6089 billcain4@comcast.net

Subscriptions: Gene Maggard 8318 SE Highway 77 Leon, KS 67076 316-742-3746 gandpmaggard@wildblue.net

Rates—$3.50 a year for the Rocky Mountain Federation News only. $7.75 a year for both the Rocky Mountain Federation News and the RMFMS Directory.

Directory only—$5.00 Order from Supplies Chair, Kim Blanton 728 E. Sandy Dunes Dr. Sandy, UT 84094 801-604-1263 kimblanton2@aol.com

Deadline Bulletin submissions deadline is the second week of the month prior to publication date; i.e., the deadline for the October bulletin is the third week of September.

Unless otherwise marked, materials from this publica-tion may be reprinted by members, giving credit to the author and the Rocky Mountain Federation News.

Klicks & Klacks from the Editor

A s you may or may not have noticed, I turned over the duties of

the Bulletin Contest to the new Publications Chair, Beth Sim-

mons of the Denver Gem & Mineral Guild. I hope that you will support

her in keeping the contest alive and well. With the 2014 Show & Conven-

tion being a combine AFMS/RMFMS event, we need lots of participation by our Fed-

eration clubs. Please encourage and assist your club’s editor in making the entry se-

lections and getting them turned in by the deadline. Too avoid being disqualified, be

sure to enter the articles in the correct category. The RMFMS web site should be up-

dated soon with the 2014 forms and information.

Because it is a combined convention and is being held in July, there won’t be much

time to get entries in both contests judged and ready for the awards breakfast. Don’t

miss the boat!

Smoothing Ear Wires by Brad Smith, used with permission

A ny time you make your own ear wires, the hardest part for

me is to sand and polish the end that's inserted into the ear.

Any sharp edge there is no fun. I've tried using sanding sticks, cup

burs, and silicone polishing wheels. I've tried buffing on a Zam

wheel, and I've tried spinning the wire in the Foredom to polish the

tip. While all of these techniques do the job, none are very easy or

fast.

Then it occurred to me - I could melt the wire smooth. One quick touch in the flame of

the propane/oxygen Little Torch does the trick - not enough to form a bead on the

wire but just enough to round off the tip.

Stiffening Ear Posts

S oldering an earring post will always soften the wire a bit. The

easiest way I’ve found to harden it is to grip it with pliers and

twist it a couple half turns. This work hardens the wire and also

tests your solder joint.

Soldering Ear Posts

I don’t solder enough ear posts to develop the dexterity

for holding the wire by hand. So, I modified a set of

locking tweezers to help with the job. It’s quick and

easy.

Use a triangular file to make a notch at the tweeze tip to

keep the wire from moving around. File a groove in the

tweezer body to rest the tweezers on a stand that keeps the ear post wire at the right

angle. The stand is just soldered up from scrap copper or nickel.

This way the tweezers act like a see-saw that’s weighted just a little bit more on the

soldering end. I felt that if the tweezers put too much pressure on the ear post wire, it

could buckle when the wire gets up to soldering temperature.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 3

Notes from the Show by Dr. Mike Nelson

E ditor Betty Cain surprised most Federation folks in July when she published a “special edition”

of the RMFMS Newsletter and for this I offer thanks for her dedication and extra work. She also

noted in her introductory email that “we would really like to hear what you have to say about any-

thing that happened at the Salt Lake City Convention.” That statement left an opening for any-

one to talk about some of the nice events associated with the Show. So, never being shy, I offer

a few personal musings!

I have spent large amounts of time in Utah during the last 45 years and always enjoy returning for collecting and just

looking at the geology. One of my favorite activities is to spend some time on the hiking trails in the Wasatch Range

located at the eastern boundary of Salt Lake City. I described the mountains in previous newsletter articles prior to the

show so will not repeat that information other than to state the Wasatch is the westernmost range of the Central

Rocky Mountains and offers insights to some very interesting geology.

It was quite obvious to show attendees that the Wa-

satch Range is dissected by a number of impressive

canyons with Parleys, Big Cottonwood, and Little

Cottonwood leading eastward to ski resorts (and old

mining areas) (Fig. 1). However, visitors also may

have observed a very impressive glacial (U-shape pro-

file) canyon situated just south of Little Cottonwood

where an impressive moraine complex (debris depos-

ited by the glacier) is piled at the end of the Canyon

(Fig. 2). This is Bells Canyon and it offers a great hik-

ing trail where one can easily observe glacial features.

I was able to hike “part way” up the canyon but rain

discouraged me from making the four mile trek to

the “First Waterfall” (Fig. 3).

I attended the commercial part of the Show on two different days and was impressed with the number of dealers and

their minerals/rocks (see photos in July Newsletter). As usual, I was able to bring home a few specimens to supplement

my collection, and three of my favorites are described

below. The first was Pecos Diamonds which I wrote

about in the August newsletter.

UVITE: I am always on the lookout for nice speci-

mens, especially minerals that are rather unfamiliar in

my limited mineralogical knowledge. That is, since I

am not a mineralogist I usually know almost nothing

about “lots of” minerals; however, I am always up to a

challenge of “trying to find out” additional infor-

mation! So, at the recent show I was intrigued by a

specimen labeled “Uvite Tourmaline” (Fig. 4). I am

somewhat familiar with many Tourmaline Group

members such as elbaite, indicolite, rubellite, schorl,

and dravite, but uvite? What is the world was that? So, I pulled my handy-dandy mineral guide out of the backpack--

but no uvite listed. That little bit of information prodded me to purchase this specimen and besides, it was a beautiful

csrockguy@yahoo.com, www.csmsgeologypost.blog

spot.com

Fig. 1. Aerial view of Wasatch Front near Sandy (courtesy of Utah Geological Survey). Little Cottonwood Canyon (LC) has a nice U-shape profile and extends east to the old mining community, and current ski resort, of Alta. Bells Canyon (BC) with a nice moraine complex (M). Show venue was west (down) from this location.

Fig. 2. Note unsorted debris, part of the Bells Canyon moraine complex. Small lake is along the trail.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 4

green crystal perched on some quartz and what

appeared to be magnesite. It was a reasonable

price, three dollars, so it was wrapped and on the

way to Colorado Springs.

I was like a kid in a candy store (or a rockhound in

a mineral shop) upon returning home and check-

ing out all my “hot buys”. There it was, the uvite!

Immediately I checked with other mineral books,

and about the only reference located was in Rob-

erts, Rapp, and Weber (1974) who noted that

uvite was a hypothetical end member of tourma-

line. Now, what does that mean? So, on to the

internet with a short stop in Eckels and others

(1997) where they stated that “black-brown crystals of tourmaline from Italian Mountain [Gunnison County] were

identified as uvite…by XRD”.

What I found out after extensive reading, was uvite is a valid mineral name, sort of, that was redefined by the Interna-

tional Mineralogical Association (IMA) in 2011 as being two different mineral species. There is a two-member uvite

series with one end member being a hydroxyl-dominant mineral and the other end member being a fluorine-dominant

uvite: The general chemical formula for the series is usually written as: [Ca(Mg3)MgAl5(Si6O18)BO3)3(OH)3(F/OH)].

Note the fluorine or the hydroxyl at the end of the formula. The hydroxyl-dominant form is referred to as uvite (to

avoid confusion with the original use of the name) while the latter is called fluor-uvite.

It seems like all/most of the Tourmaline Group minerals have fluorine-

dominant analogues, for example fluor-schorl (fluorine-dominant) to

go with schorl (hydroxyl-dominant). MinDat furthermore goes on to

note that an analysis really needs to be completed before many speci-

mens of uvite (sensu lato) can be assigned to one of the end mem-

bers. Since I don’t carry an XRD in my back pocket, I could be in trou-

ble when it comes to correct identification!

Uvite is often green in color, as in my specimen, but at times it may be

black, brown or even colorless and maybe white. I suppose, but am

guessing here, that the color range may be due to the magnesium?

The crystals seem to be short and stubby compared to other tourma-

line species, for example schorl and elbaite. In fact, they almost look

flattened (along the C-axis) or tabular. Good crystals are complexly terminated and my specimen is transparent, vitre-

ous and gemmy, although others may be translucent. Tourmaline Group minerals are harder than quartz coming in at

about 7.5 (Mohs).

The specimen that I acquired came from Brumado (Bom Jesusdos Meiras), Bahia, Brazil. I don’t know much about the

local geology; however, magnesite (one of the largest deposits in the world) and talc are mined in the region.

Cassedanne and Cassedane (1978) published an article on the Brunado District in the Mineralogical Record; but, I have

been unable to locate this vintage article. I do believe the uvite is associated with the magnesite deposits that in turn

are located in Precambrian rocks partially subjected to replacement by hydrothermal solutions. Henry and others

(2011) made the Brumado District the type locality for uvite (sensu stricto); however, MinDat notes “it is not possible

to assign "uvites" from Brumado to the correct species without a reliable analysis”.

GOETHITE VARIETY TURGITE: I felt quite pleased when I nabbed a single and isolated specimen labeled

Fig. 3. Bells Canyon above the small lake in Fig. 2. The “first Waterfall” is near the top of the photo.

Fig. 4. Green crystals of uvite on quartz with scattered crys-tals of clear magnesite. Note tiny magnesite crystals perched

on large uvite crystal. Length of specimen ~4 cm.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 5

“Turgite” that was in the “sale bin” at the Show. After all, what is a frugal collector to do when something interesting

and “cheap” pops out in front of you?

After returning home I begin to inquire about turgite in my reference books and on various web sites. It turns out that

turgite is not recognized as a true mineral since it is a mixture of both hematite and goethite. Some rockhounds con-

tinue to use the term as a variety of hematite [Fe2O3] and/or goethite [Fe+3O(OH)] as in “goethite var. turgite”. What-

ever the case, turgite usually appears as mammillary, botryoidal, stalactitic or bladed goethite that has its surface cov-

ered by hematite. Or perhaps the goethite has even partially altered to hematite. What makes turgite “famous” and

quite collectable is the fact that the hematite often displays a beautiful spectrum of colored iridescence and resembles

a fire agate (at least to me). Good specimens often are quoted for hundreds of dollars. Now my specimen cost me a

couple of bucks and only has a few spots of golden iridescence—until closely examined under a binocular microscope!

As a bonus, my turgite specimen has some nice crystals/exposures of golden-colored pyrophyllite, an aluminum sili-

cate [Al2(Si4O10)(OH)2]. There are also “spots” where tiny crystals of quartz

are very loosely cemented and contain microcrystals of pyrite and rutile

(both almost impossible to photograph).

Graves Mountain, where my specimen was collected, is perhaps Georgia’s

best known collecting locality and is especially noted for specimen minerals

(besides turgite and pyrophyllite) of kyanite [Al2(SiO4)O], pyrite [FeS2], rutile

([TiO2] world-class), lazulite [(MgFe+2)Al2(PO4)2(OH)2], and numerous others.

In fact, the Mountain was originally mined for the aluminum-rich, refractory

kyanite used in such items as spark plug insulators and later as insulated

space shuttle tiles (T. Hanley, 2005).

It appears, from my limited knowledge, that the geology of Graves Mountain

is quite complex! It lies in the “foothills” of the Appalachian Mountains, and

is thrown into the Piedmont Physiographic section of the mountains. In introductory terms, the great Appalachian

Belt resulted from the collision of parts of Gondwana (Africa and South America) with Laurentia (North America). The

tectonic events started in the Ordovician (Taconic Orogeny), hit another high point in the Devonian (Acadian orogeny)

and culminated in the Alleghenian Orogeny (Mississippian through Permian). These events were compressional in

nature and produced the: 1) gently folded late Paleozoic rocks of the inner region, the Appalachian Plateau; 2) more

steeply folded and faulted early to middle Paleozoic rocks of the Valley and Ridge (sandstone producing ridges; shale

producing valleys); 3) the badly deformed metamorphic terrane of Precambrian and earliest Paleozoic rocks of the

Blue Ridge; and 4) the complicated and varied terrane of faults, metamorphic rocks and igneous intrusions known as

the Piedmont.

One section of the greater Piedmont is the Carolina Slate Belt, essentially an old volcanic terrane (rocks ~560 Ma; right

around the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary) that has been subjected to later metamorphism. These rocks originat-

ed in an island arc system that was part of the proto-Atlantic Ocean. As proto-North America banged into Gondwana

the island arc was “squeezed” and accreted (stuck onto) to North America (Allard, 1999). Perhaps this island arc ap-

peared something like the modern Philippine Islands in the Sea of Japan.

Graves Mountain itself has a unique geology in that the principle rocks are pyritiferous kyanite granofels and sericite

(type of muscovite) schist. Allard (1999) believes these rocks are the result of metamorphism of a hydrothermal altera-

tion system---a subsurface hot water vent! I presume the surficial goethite (stable Fe+3) formed from the oxidation of

pyrite (and perhaps lazulite) both of which contain the unstable Fe+2.

I also came home with several other specimens, all purchased at a “good price”, but need to leave these for my blog

(www.csmsgeologypost.blogspot.com) since I am certain that Editor Betty does not have space for additional flowing

Fig. 5. Graves Mountain Goethite var. Turgite. Note bladed and mammillary goethite covered by hematite. Golden-colored material in upper right is pyrophyllite.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 6

words!

References: Albright, J.L., and Lueth, V.W., 2003, Pecos Diamonds---Quartz and Dolomite Crystals from the Seven Rivers For-

mation Outcrops of Southeastern New Mexico: New Mexico Geology, v. 25. Allard, G. O., 1999, Graves Mountain, Slate Belt, Georgia Geology in Graves Mountain and Magruder Mine, Wilkes and

Lincoln Counties Georgia, M. V. Hurst and C. Winkler III. Eds.: Southeastern Geological Society Guidebook Num-ber 38. http://segs.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/SEGS-Guidebook-38.pdf

Cassedanne, J.P. & Cassedanne, J.O., 1978, Famous Mineral Localities: The Brumado District, Bahia , Brazil: Miner-alogical Record v. 9, p. 196-205.

Hanley, T., 2005, The New Georgia Encyclopedia: www.georgiaencyclopedia.org). Henry, D., Novák, M., Hawthorne, F.C., Ertl, A., Dutrow, B.L., Uher, P. & Pezzotta, F., 2011, Nomenclature of the Tour-

maline Supergroup Minerals: American Mineralogists, v. 96, p. 895-913.

Sticks and Stones - E-mail Etiquette by Beth Simmons, CO State Director

A ll businesses and institutions have communication training sessions where their employees learn what is and

what is not permissible in an e-mail communications. The Internet and e-mail have changed the way we com-

municate around the world. The speed of the "grapevine" is now the speed of light.

Because e-mail communications are legal "tender" admissible in court proceedings, it behooves RMFMS e-mail users

to follow basic rules of Internet etiquette, just like drivers must maintain manners on the highway. Like taking driving

lessons, improving your e-mail skills will improve your level of communication.

The big six No- No-No-No-No-No’s of e-mail etiquette are: No threats. No swear words. No name calling. No exhibit of anger through the use of capitalization. No exhibit of outrage through the use of red bold font. No libelous, sexist, or racially discriminating comments.

Then come basic civilities: Don't send something you wouldn't want to receive - the Golden Rule. Always sign your e-mails (at least use the signature option of Outlook and Lotus Notes). Always type an appropriate subject, spelled correctly, in the subject line. Use your e-mail system's spell checker. Keep e-mails short. If you need to discuss a tedious topic, use the telephone. Don't use text-ese! (Not everyone know that ROTFLOL means roll on the floor and laugh out loud) Avoid embarrassment. Don't forward offensive or angry e-mails because Murphy guarantees that the one person

you don't want to see it - will. This is especially true if you are e-mailing from your place of employment. Larger organizations and academic institutes have e-mail checking systems that scan for certain words within e-

mails and will block e-mails that contain offensive language. Make sure yours fly by being civil. Proof read your e-mails - don't click send until you are sure you want to send the e-mail. That second or two can

save a lot of confusion, embarrassment, and frustration. Keep e-mail threads short. Cut the string, and change the subject line when you change subjects. If you get an obnoxious or offensive e-mail about something that upsets you - walk away from your computer be-

fore you respond. Then come back and re-read the e-mail aloud to make sure you didn't misread a word that might change the context of the communication. Then keep your fingers trapped under your legs on the chair.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 7

Count to 200. Walk away again. Try to analyze what was going on in the person's mind who sent you the e-mail. Then maybe come back and respond to the e-mail. Or wait a day. Or a month.

Don't forward political or religious messages unless you are sure of the recipients' political or religious stances. Never forward chain emails or ones that ask you to "add onto the list."

Say "Thank you" or "Thanks" at the end of your e-mail or use some other nicety as an ending where letters used to say "Sincerely yours," or "Respectfully." In an informal communiqué, little smiley faces (emoticons) work as an endnote.

Always answer an e-mail (unless it's offensive) - especially if it's from RMFMS! Whoops - that's an acronym - the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies.

No matter how you feel about the person with whom you're communicating or the contents of the message, be upbeat and polite in your response.

Next are basic Internet usage suggestions: Always keep your virus checker working and up-to-date. Keep your computer system clock set correctly. Always use the BCC (Blind Courtesy Copy) when sending out "blanket" emails to reduce spammers getting long

lists of e-mail targets. Send the first one to yourself. That guarantees you will see what you sent. BCC the rest. Read the "to" list before you hit "reply all." Someone on the original list might not want to know your opinion

about that topic. Don't fill up someone's e-mail account with photos or big files without their permission. Maintain a level of professionalism in your e-mails. Remember, e-mails can be used in court! E-mail is NOT Facebook or Twitter, where the world's family laundry airs daily. (And doesn't read well!) Remember the old taunt, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will nev-er hurt me" when you are tempted to break the rules of e-mail etiquette. Don't use acronyms. Not everyone knows what the RMFMS or AFMS stands for (our Federa-tions). Or the DGMG. Or CMS. Or CSMS. Or LGGMC. Or FCSMGM. (All are rock and mineral clubs in the Denver area.) E-mail systems don't work the same - some will not accept large attachments; others put

photographs within the e-mail, not as an attachment. Try to understand your system and see how it might be different from that of someone with whom you are trying to communicate.

If you get a bounced e-mail, double-check the address you typed in and resend. Then, if it bounces again, if the person is available by phone, call them and tell them what happened.

E-mail or its next derivative which hasn't evolved yet is with us to stay. Mind your manners when using it!

Rockhounding and ALAA by John Martin, webmaster@amlands.org

G reetings to all ALAA Members and Rockhounds from Southern California,

That’s correct Southern California where many rockhounds live and play. Without your watchful eye, both the

positive and negative experience of Rockhounding gets overlooked and is missed. So, in order to move forward and

remain fair and balanced, your help is greatly needed. When legislative or Land Management issues arise in your rock-

hounding area, whether on public lands, (BLM, USFS, State, County, or City), or even on privately owned land, let the

American Lands Access Association State Representative http://www.amlands.org/6715.html or any ALAA Officer

http://www.amlands.org/6694.html know about the issues and the details that are affecting your rockhounding experi-

ence. (If you do not have a state representative, join ALAA and become the State Representative for your state.) The

issues can then be investigated and a course of action may be suggested to help correct or enhance the issue of con-

cern. When noteworthy rockhounding issues pop up, just drop an e-mail to ALAA Information e-mail at info@am

lands.org with the details of the issues and concerns, they then can be addressed. More information about rockhound-

ing and ALAA can be found on the ALAA Website www.amlands.org

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 8

Where are the Competition Cases? by Lee Whitebay & DeLane Cox

A nother of the really nice things at the RMF meeting in Sandy, Utah, was seeing the three competition cases

entered at the Show. They were beautiful examples of our hobby. There should have been more.

The three blue ribbons presented at the Awards Banquet went to a mineral case entered by Rick Dalrymple, Salt Lake

City, UT; an educational case by Reenie Cooper, Sandy, UT; and an educational case by Jack & Kaye Thompson, Colo-

rado Springs, CO.

Competition cases are a great way to let people who are not members of

a rock club know more about our hobby. It shows the public the diverse

interests of rockhounds, and lets people get a taste of the quality of our

collections. Then there is that thing about the good feeling one gets

when ribbons are awarded in recognition of excellent work or that gold

trophy that gets to sit on the mantle and draw admiring glances from

family and guests.

Occasionally comments will be heard from rockhounds, such as, “l’d

never enter a competitive case because the rules are too complicated

and the judges too picky.” Do you suppose these same people think the gold medal winners at the Olympics found

the rules they must go by as too complicated or the judges too picky? To be the best, you must have rules that every-

one knows will set one person apart as “The Best.” And, yes, judges have to be picky. But, the judges have to go by

the rules set by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies for each division and class. You just cannot have

judges using one set of rules in the California Federation, and judges using another set of rules in the Eastern Federa-

tion. How could those winners then by judged in the American Federation where the AmFed rules must be followed?

Every judge must take special training to qualify as a judge. He or she must know what is in that thick book titled

“Uniform Rules” that each entry must be judged by. The Uniform Rules book is thick, but unlike judges, exhibitors on-

ly need to carefully read those sections pertaining specifically to their area of interest.

Many RMFMS members have skills and knowledge they ache to share with new hobbyists and putting quality exhibits

in shows is a great way to grab the attention of new rock hounds. Winning a trophy may have been a worthy goal in

the past, but today it is even more important to win over new members to our clubs. Putting a competitive exhibit in a

show announces to the public and peers that you are proud of and committed to your hobby.

So, start with you own club’s show. Enter a case with your best collection. It may take a bit of time, effort, and money

to make it the best possible case, but it will be worth it. After your

show, enter your case in your Federation’s

show. Then move up to the American Federa-

tion’s Show. By the end of the show, you may

have attracted new members to our hobby to

join a club and become rockhounds, and just

maybe you will even have won a nice trophy for

your mantle.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 9

Member Night at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with Dr. Sampson

By Jack Shimon

I went to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) last night. This was my first member’s night, and I want to go to them every time now. My mom and I went to see Dr. Scott Sampson talk. He is the new chief cura-

tor and Vice President of the Research and Collections division, which I know a little bit about from my Pebble Pups trips there. He described a new horned dinosaur called Nasutoceratops and told us the name means “big-nosed horned-face” which is very accurate. I thought the dinosaur looked a lot like a rhino with the horns of a bull.

Nasutoceratops has a very big nose, but they aren’t sure why. Dr. Sampson had some theories, and I thought he was funny when he explained that the part of our nose we can stick our fingers into (not that I would) is the same as the big nose the dino-saur has. The horns can grow up to 10 feet long, and there is a horn on the tip of the nose (note…. I don’t know if this is accurate, Jack says it is). This dinosaur is a Cretaceous dinosaur that is 76 mil-lion years old and lived along the shore of the Western Interior Seaway. The most exciting part for me is that the discovery was just announced last week that these fossils were found in Utah. A lady asked how the scientists know so much about the dinosaur having just discovered it, and Dr. Sampson ex-plained that even though most peo-

ple were only told about it one week ago, scientists found it way before then and have been learning about it before they announced it. But how did they know what it is? They found most of the skull, neck, part of the body, and the legs. The main part missing was the back. By comparing it to other horned dinosaurs of the same age, they can guess what that looked like. But that doesn’t mean they know exactly what the horns and nose are for. I think the horns could be for scaring off predators, and the big nose could be for a great sense of smell and making sounds to call its herd. At the end of his talk, Dr. Sampson said he was going to the lab to see yet another potential new dinosaur that was just found. I real-ly wanted to go with him. I guess we all have to wait and see what it is. I have read about a lot of dinosaurs in books, but it is really neat that a new one was found while I am a kid, and they will start writing books about it, too.

Image courtesy and with permission of the artist: Andrey Atuchin who lives in Russia (South Western Siberia) in Kemerovo. He works mainly as a natural history illustrator and a paleontologist-volunteer. His gallery is at dino-art1.narod.ru and his blog is at andrey-atuchin.blogspot.com.

Jack Shimon and Dr. Scott Sampson. Photo by Julie Shimon.

Labor Day, Sept 2

National Grandparents Day Sept 8

National Collect Rocks

Day Sept 16

National Patriot Day Sept 11

National Native

American Day Sept 27

Yom Kippur Sept 14

Autum Begins

Sept 22

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 10

STATE DIRECTOR REPORTS

The comment period for the Tri-County BLM new management rules is almost over. The main impacts to the club activities are: 1) Major changes to OHV travel and roads open for use. 2) ACEC designation. All versions of the plan call for most rockhounding areas in the counties to be declared "Areas of Critical Environmental Concern". These ACEC include the Caballo Mountains, Tonuco/San Diego, Rincon, Orogrande, and so on. I asked them what ACEC means at the public forum a few months back, and was blown off - I think that this is a "blank check" to restrict all activity up to and including human access of any form, let alone rockhounding. I encourage the club to learn more and send comments ASAP. Please pick at least some token page in the Resource Management document to refer to in your comments. By Brecken Uhl http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/fo/Las_Cruces_District_Office/tricounty_rmp.html

Bob Carlson

The McCurtain Gem and Mineral club is preparing for its annual show the first week of Oct. We still are offering field trips for local schools and scouts with our extended days for our show from Wednesday thru Sunday Oct 2-6th. We are located in our local Museum of the Red river where we have a cast of the 40. Ft dinosaur. Acrocanthrosaurus which was hand excavated by two of our club members. This makes for an interesting day for our visitors to the show and museum (no admission charge for either).

By Doris Perkins Virgil Richards

Western Dakota Gem & Mineral Show, July 13-15 at the Rapid City Civic Center. We featured the South Dakota State gemstone, “The Fairburn Agate” and some of the best collections ever were on public display! There was a total thirty-one showcases plus four memorial cases for Don Rathert, George Berg, and Mark Anderson; and our own WDG&M showcase.

The busiest place at our show is always at the Silent Auction! We feature a very different Silent Auction than most clubs where items are donated and put up for sale. At our show, people come from far to buy everything from show quality agate-crystal-mineral-agatized wood-fossil specimens to handmade jewelry and lapidary equipment and, of course, there are always two closed cases of Fairburn agates up for bid each round! We retain 20% of each item to fund the annual scholarships given to s SD School of Mines and Technology student. By Jan Baumiester

Sony Hemscher

No comments

Tom Burchard

No comments

Jim McGarvey

Russ Stewart

No comments

Beth Simmons

September in Colorado means the Greater Denver Show and all of its accompanying satellite shows. The real action, is, of course, at the main show at the Merchandise Mart where participating clubs have tables along with other non-profits and many, many dealers and displays. This year's main show theme is "Tourmaline," our favorite bi-or tri-colored mineral. So I expect we will see LOTS of beautiful tourmaline specimens. The speakers' list for the show includes some Coloradoans: Marjie Payne and I will show the "Arthur Lakes: Discovering Dinosaurs" movie at 1:00 on Friday; Steve Veatch and his Pebble Pups and Earth Scholars present at noon on Saturday; and Saturday night Mike Wise, curator of the Smithsonian minerals, takes the stage in the banquet hall. Come one, come all! Denver, September 13-14-15, for the 2nd largest gem and mineral show in the country!

Ray Oliger

No comments

Lyle Koerper

The Wichita, KS, Gem & Mineral Society enjoys auctions. The meetings featuring auctions attract the highest attendance. The Wichita Society has more than 150 members that represent a wide range in ages as well as experience in rockhounding. Members who have been field tripping and collecting for many years are willing to donate items.

The August meeting starts with a pot luck dinner followed by the auction. The January meeting marks the anniversary of the founding of the Socie-ty more than 60 years ago. This meeting features birthday cake and an auction.

All auction proceeds go to the Society treasury. The income from the auction has helped keep yearly dues low. In addition to participating in the national scholarship program, the Wichita Society also make yearly a four-figure contribution to Wichita State University. These donations fund a Wichita Gem & Mineral Society Endowment for scholarships in the WSU Geology Department. The relationship with WSU is strong with monthly meetings held in facilities of the Geology Department.

All auctions are conducted professionally. Bidders are issued numbers with the auction clerk recording sales and the society treasurer collecting and accounting for all proceeds.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 11

Junior ACROYs by Bill Cain, ACROY Chair

Southern Nevada Gem & Mineral Society – Mary Beth Paladino, Editor

Anthony Rivera has been a Kids Club member for many years. He will be a senior at Veteran's Tribute Career and Technical

Academy in the fall. Currently, he is taking Tae Kwon Do to prepare for his future career as a police officer.

Anthony’s most memorable Kids Club event was at long-time member Doris Currington’s. We had our first Halloween fluorescent night there. Anthony arrived late on the dark moonless night and Doris took his hand and guided him to her fluorescent area. When she turned on her fluorescent light, Anthony waved his arms and, according to Doris, danced what she called the jig and exclaimed ’I’ll never forget this as long as I live’ and apparently he hasn’t.

His favorite field trip destination is Quartzsite, AZ, and his favorite stones are fire opal and lapis lazuli.

He recently put together a display to raise awareness of the hazards for birds of open-pipe mining claim markers. The birds get trapped in the pipe and die. He found one such pipe containing several dead birds. Anthony encourages us if we see this type of mine marker, to prevent more deaths, put a flat rock on top of the opening or fill it with dirt and rocks to the top.

Good luck with your future career and happy rockhounding. You make us proud!

Pikes Peak Pebble Pups & Earth Scholars

Jack Shimon was the first 5-year old allowed to join the Pebble Pups. We are so glad we made the decision. Even at that young

age, Jack already had a very good understanding of rocks, fossils, and other Earth Sciences. He often dictated newsletter articles about new finds, a field trip, or even summer vacation to his mom, Julie. Now that he’s gotten to the ripe old age of 8 and is in the third grade, he writes his own articles. Jack has a boundless curiosity about the workings of Nature and researches his questions until he is satisfied with the answers he discovered.

Jack has earned many awards and accolades during the last three years that he’s been a Pebble Pup. His awards are for articles, art work, and poems. I know that he will continue to be a surprising “gem” to us as he continues his studies and adventures in rockhounding. See Jack’s latest article on page 8 of this newsletter. He discovered the concept of copyright protection, and emailed the artist of a drawing he wanted to use in his story. A friendship was kindled between the U.S. & Russia. Jack’s next work will be an interview with this new friend. We are very proud of you, Jack!

Geologic Map Day: Celebrate on October 18 Rocky Reader, Aug 2013

O n Friday, October 18, 2013, you are invited to join in the celebration of the second annual Geologic Map Day!

The final major event for the school week of Earth Science Week 2013 (October 13-19), Geologic Map Day will promote awareness of the study, uses, and importance of geologic mapping for education, science, business, and a variety of public policy concerns.

The event will enable students, teachers, and the wider public to tap into educa-tional activities, print materials, online resources, and other opportunities for par-ticipation. Check out the Geologic Map Day poster included in the Earth Science Week 2013 Toolkit (http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/pubdetail.html?item=609610). The poster provides a geologic map, plus step-by-step instructions for a related classroom activity, encouraging students to explore what geologic maps can tell them about natural hazards.

Geologic Map Day is hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Association of

American State Geologists, the National Park Service, the Geological Society of America, and Esri in partnership with AGI, the

organizer of Earth Science Week. Additional resources for learning about geologic maps can be found on the new Geologic Map

Day web page (http://www.earthsciweek.org/geologicmap/).

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 12

RMFMS 2014 Bulletin Contest by Beth Simmons, Publications Chair

Deadline January 15, 2014

T here are about four months left in 2013, so it may seem early for you editors to be pondering the Bulletin

Contest for 2014; but we've set the deadline for submissions - JANUARY 15, 2014. If your December issue

is in the email to your members by December 1st, that gives you six short weeks to submit your entries. The

RMFMS and AFMS combined show is in Tulsa in July 2014, so we have to get the RMFMS contest completed and

send on the winning entries so the AFMS can get them judged in time for the big show and Breakfast with the

Editors & Webmasters. We also must have all the awards, ribbons, and trophies made! If you know you have a

winner, prepare the forms and paperwork now - all forms are handy on the RMFMS web site. Just pack them away on your comput-

er in a file called 2014 RMFMS Contest and by December your work will be half done!

Can we pull entries from over half of the approximately 75 Federation clubs - about 38 clubs? Nothing builds club morale and pride

more than blue ribbons and trophies that demonstrate the excellence of your members' talents! Editors - plan now to submit your

members' best work!

Remarkable Trace Fossil Found Near Woodland Park May Hold Clues to an Ancient Sandstone By Steven Wade Veatch and Zachary Sepulveda, CSMS

W inding into the mountains, U.S. highway 24 closely follows the Ute Pass fault, a major fault that separates the

Rampart Range from the Pikes Peak massif and the rest of the Front Range. Starting southeast of Cheyenne

Mountain, the Ute Pass fault can be traced for about 60 miles, and heads north along state highway 67 beyond Wood-

land Park. The fault zone is relatively wide and filled with broken and fractured rocks that create the course of Fountain

Creek in Ute Pass.

There are at least three resistant ridges made up of sandstone exposed along Ute Pass and in the Woodland Park area.

These can be thought of as “fault slices” of a sandstone rock unit “jammed” in Pikes Peak Granite during past move-

ments of the Ute Pass fault. The sandstone rocks are called “injectites” by a number of geologists to describe this re-

markable formation. Generally, the color of the injectites is reddish or maroon, but some of the weathered injectites

have a buff discoloration on weathered surfaces that is related to the iron oxide cement present in the sandstone.

Today the injectites remain a source of much scientific debate. This was thought to be a sandstone unit called the

Sawatch Sandstone that was deposited during the Paleozoic Era in the Cambrian Period—when there was an explosion

of multicellular life. Geologists give names to units of rock that were formed generally in the same way at the same time

so they can talk about them and map them. Upon closer examination, it is clear this is probably not Sawatch Sandstone.

During a recent field trip attended by seven geologists studying these features in Woodland Park, the scientists began

to consider this sandstone was perhaps pre-Cambrian, formed at a time before there was multicel-

lular life on Earth. During the intense and concentrated discussion during this field trip, the scien-

tists considered it a distinct possibility this sandstone was laid down before larger life forms were

present; Steve Spence, a geology student at Pikes Peak Community College, climbed a steep

slope of this enigmatic sandstone while the geologists were fervently debating. He came back

down with an object he had never seen before and brought it to one of the authors

(Veatch) and said, “What is this unusual looking thing?”

Veatch knew exactly what it was—it was a trace fossil of a larger, multicellular creature

that once crawled its way through the wet and moist sand millions of years ago. This

large trace fossil put the primordial sandstone back in the Paleozoic when there were

large, multicellular organisms.

Trace fossils, also known as ichnofossils, are a very important kind of fossil, they record behavior exhibited

Steve Spence, a Pikes Peak Community College Student with the trace fossil he found. Photo © by S.W. Veatch

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 13

by prehistoric creatures. They are formed by animals performing

actions, rather than animals dying and being preserved in sedi-

ment. For instance, a trace fossil might be formed by a worm bur-

rowing its way through the sand, leaving a trail that gets preserved

for all of eternity; or a dinosaur traveling to its nesting site and

leaving a trail of footprints in deep mud. The term trace fossil may

also include other things like remnants organisms left behind, for

example, egg shells or coprolites (scat or droppings). Trace fossils

leave us with indirect evidence of how past animals lived their lives

and how they may have behaved.

Footprint fossils can give us insight not only into the behavior of prehistoric animals, but also into their physical attributes. By look-

ing at footprints we can determine the size, speed, and weight of the animal creating the print. Trace fossils are a valuable source of

information on prehistoric animals' behavior and biology.

This is a good example of how science works, and how something can change like the name and age of a sandstone unit. Geologists

for decades thought it was the Sawatch Sandstone, and now geologists do not know what the name of the sandstone is or the age

of it. Now science has a trace fossil from Woodland Park to add to the understanding of this puzzling sandstone. Scientists will soon

probe the mysteries of this ancient sandstone embedded in Pikes Peak Granite and hopefully assign a name and age to it.

About the authors:

Steven Veatch is from a descendant from Cripple Creek miners who mined in the Cripple Creek and Victor

Mining District from 1892 to the late 1930s. He teaches the Pikes Peak Pebble Pups to become responsible rock

hounds, writers, poets, and scientists. There is a Pikes Peak Pebble Pup unit in Lake George, Colorado.

Zachary Sepulveda attends Palmer Ridge High School in Monument, Colorado. He is

from Southern California, and has always been interested in geology, paleontology and

biology. He is looking forward to making a meaningful contribution to the field of sci-

ence. His other interests include creative writing and drawing. Some of his poetry and

drawings have been published in magazines such as Deposits and in local newspapers.

He wrote and published a scientific article with Steven Veatch about a Florissant fossil

spider discovery. Zachary is a member of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society (CSMS) and partici-

pates actively in the Pebble Pup/Junior program. He is also a member of the Colorado Scientific Society.

The tube-like structure or the trace fossil was formed by the crea-ture crawling through this ancient sand and can be clearly seen from this side view. Steven Spence specimen. Photo © S. W. Veatch.

Cloth Of Gold Until the Middle Ages, underwater divers near the Mediterranean Coast line collected gold-

en strands of the pen shell, which used the strands to hold itself in place. Called “byssus”,

the strands were woven into a luxury textile “cloth of gold” and made into ladies’ gloves so

fine that a pair could be packed into an empty walnut shell. Examples of this lost art exist

in some museums, where the cloth retains its color and softness. Via El Gambrisino from MOROKS Sep 2013

Jewelry Cleaner

1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 tablespoon dish detergent 1 cup water 1 piece aluminum

foil Directions:

1. Heat water in the microwave for 2 minutes.

2. Cut a piece of aluminum foil that covers the bottom of a small bowl .

3. Pour hot water into bowl. Place salt, soda, and dish-washing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry on top of

foil and let it sit for 10 minutes. Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth.

Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time. Via MOROKS Sep 2013

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 14

Carnelian by Lawrence H. Skelton, Quarry Quips, June 2013

C arnelian, a form of chalcedony or cryptocrystalline quartz, SiO2, is a gem that has been fancied by various societies for

thousands of years. Drilled pieces of carnelian, probably beads, that are dated to 4000 to 5000 B.C. have been found

at Mehrgarh, in Baluchistan, Pakistan, a site which may be the oldest known agricultural center in south Asia. Carnelian

beads dating from the early Iron Age (ca. 1200 – 900 B.C) have been found throughout the Middle East, Southern and

Southeast Asia. Many of these have been attributed to extensive deposits in Gujarat State, India

but recent research has revealed that Ban Khao Mogul in Lopburi Province,

Thailand (about 87 miles/150 k. NE of Bangkok) is a source of carnelian that

may have supplied Southeast Asia. The age at which this deposit was first

worked is unknown. Another available source is Shahr-i-Sokhta, a site dating

to ca. 3200 B.C. that lies near the present Afghan – Irani border. India seems to

have been the principle supplier to the ancient world including Egypt, Greece,

and Rome. Ancient Egyptians also secured carnelian in the Nubian Desert to

the west of the upper Nile River; a source used from around 3000 B.C. to Ro-

man times. Other significant modern sources are in the Ratnapura District in

the southwest of Sri Lanka; Queensland, Australia and the Huancavelica Department of Peru. In the

United States, carnelian is found in 27 states according to Mindat.com. One frequently quoted location

is Carnelian Creek (properly Stirling Brook) located in Warren township of Somerset County, New Jersey where carnelian

filled vugs in basalt lava deposited during late Triassic and Jurassic times. Jurassic age fossil snails, Viviparus reesidei, that

have been replaced with carnelian occur in the Morrison Formation in Mesa County, Colorado.

According to Gemstones of the World, most carnelian sold on the modern market is dyed, heat-

treated agate. Some grayish-tan chalcedony can be heat-treated to yield bright-orange carnelian.

Kurt Nassau noted that such heat treatment was known and practiced in India 4000 years ago.

The physical characteristics of carnelian are the same as those of other forms of chalcedony; it is

translucent, hardness 6.5 to 7.0 (Mohs), specific gravity around 2.60 and has a conchoidal fracture.

The orange to brown color is caused by ferric iron oxide (hematite); the darker specimens having

greater hematite content. The color sometimes is cloudy.

There are two or three explanations of the name, carnelian. It likely derives from medieval Latin corneolus from the Latin

cornum that refers to the cornel cherry. This member of the Dogwood family has edible berries ranging from yellow to bright red

and was known in ancient time. An alternative guess is from the Latin noun caro, carnis (genitive case) referring to meat of

land animals. A less likely origin is from Latin cornu referring to a brass musical instrument (hence our modern cornet).

There are a variety of superstitions and curative powers associated with carnelian. The Second Edition (1636) of Gemmarum

et Lapidum Historia by Anselmus de Boodt (ca. 1536 – 1632) credits carnelian with the ability to stop a hemorrhage when ap-

plied to the bleeding spot, an older belief repeated by other authors. The philosopher and alchemist, Albertus Magnus

(1206? - 1280) noted that amulets of carnelian elated the soul and expelled evil effects of sorcery, witchcraft, etc. and was a

useful charm against a bad temper. Other authors from the 1100’s considered that a carnelian engraved with a man holding

a sword would preserve the wearer from lightning strikes, storms, enchantments, and vices. The Romans considered it use-

ful in warding off the evil eye. Carnelian and sard are associated with the Hebrew tribe of Reuben and are mentioned several

times in the Bible. Carnelian is named in some versions as the first stone in the breastplate of the High Priest of Israel and

also is named as the third of the twelve foundation stones of New Jerusalem.

Carnelian/sard has been valued to make stone seals throughout history since it leaves a clean impression,

and wax does not adhere to it. Such seals of carnelian have been found at archaeological sites throughout

the Middle East and Mediterranean areas. Carnelian inlaid jewelry has been excavated from Ur, the home of

the Patriarch Abraham and from the tomb of King Tutankhamen (“King Tut”) as well as older Egyptian buri-

als. A tomb at Tell es-Sa’idiyeh (thought to be the Old Testament city of Zarethen) in northwestern Jordan

contained an 11 foot long necklace of 573 carnelian beads strung with others of gold and ivory. Dated

around 1300 B.C., it was one of several carnelian beads, seals and other jewelry excavated in the area. The

oldest carnelian beads presently known date from the Fifth Millennium B.C. in the Oman Peninsula.

This Egyptian necklace con-sists of bioconical carnelian bead, rolled strips of sheet gold, and ten amulets. The Walters Art Museum. Photo via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnelia

Fossil “carnelianized” snails, Mesa Co., CO. Photo by Amber Skelton

Polish signet ring in light-

orange Carnelian intaglio

showing Korwin coat of arms.

Wikipedia.com

Carnelian Beads. Photo by Amber Skelton.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 15

In 1794, George Washington was given a carnelian seal to commemorate his laying the corner-

stone of the U. S. Capitol. It is on display in the U.S. House of Representatives Collection in the

U.S Capitol Visitors Center. Carnelian and sard remain popular gems. Carnelian usually is cut

en cabochon, is sometimes faceted, and is popular when carved as intaglios. This orange gem

continues in popular use as it has done through the history of humanity.

References:

Dake, H.C., Fleener, F.L. and Wilson, B.H., 1938. Quartz Family Minerals: New York, McGraw Hill, 304p.

Law, R., Carter, A., Bhan, K. etal, 2013. INAA of Agate Sources and Artifacts from the Indus, Helmand, and Thailand Re-gions in South Asian Archaeology 2007, Vol. I, Prehistoric Periods (Frenez, Dennys and Tosi, Maurizio, eds.). Oxford, England, Archaeopress, 8p.

Kozminsky, I., 1922. The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones: New York, G.P Putnams Sons. 480p. Kunz, G. F., 1941 (orig. publ. 1913). The Curious Lore of Precious Stones: New York, Dover Publications, 406p. Nassau, K., 1984. Gemstone Enhancement: Stoneham, MA., Butterworths, 221p. Schumann, W., 2001. Gemstones of the World, 3rd ed: New York, Sterling, 320p. Wright, R.V. and Chadbourne, R.L., 1970. Gems & Minerals of the Bible: New Canaan, CT, Keats Publ., 148p.

A pair of sardonyx (alternating bands of carneliam & white chalcedone)

cameos. Carved at Idar-Oberstein. Photo by Amber Skelton.

Public Land Advisory—South Dakota by Jan Baumeister, SD Rep/RMFMS & ALAA

W e and a lady representing the cattlemen attended the Forest Service meeting that started at noon at the Ram-kota Hotel on July 24. The meeting was in regards to some improvements to be made at the Railroad Buttes

area of the Buffalo Gap Grassland. They are planning to put large parking areas, an area for young motorcycle riders to use, toilets, and picnic tables which will be wonderful for families with “bikes”.

The best news is for us rockhounds. They are going to revaluate the trail usage on the Buffalo Gap Grasslands, both from the Wall district, controlling the public land east of the Cheyenne River, and Hot Springs District, controlling lands west of this river. It was pointed out on the Railroad Butte map that the first trail #500 westward starting at north entrance into the Railroad butte area, they have plans to improve and open the trail that cuts across this area going southwest to meet the same trail #500 that makes a loop and come around the south side. We discussed trails like the one at the Agate Allotment being closed. We need to let them know this is a well used area, especially for the elderly rockhounds to easily hunt in flat areas.

The Forest Service is asking for comments & suggestions about trails that are presently closed which we rockhounds use the most. So, take time to use your printer or go some place like Hardware Hank (5 cents copy) and make a copy of these areas from your 2013-14 trail management map, or from other Buffalo Gap Grasslands maps, mark these trails in RED INK that you wish opened for future rock hunting ,and add your comments! This makes it easier for them to understand what trails we would like to have open to drive to agate beds.

Send to management: Buffalo Gap Grasslands, Wall Ranger District, PO Box 425, Wall, SD 57790 (ph: 605-279-2125) or Buffalo Gap Grasslands, Fall River Ranger Station, 1801 Highway 18 Truck Bypass, Hot Springs, SD 57747 (ph: 605-745-4107). I’ve included phone numbers if you wish to call and ask about numbers of existing trails. Please contact them now - this may be our only chance to get our well-used trails OPEN before the new map is printed!

Rock Playing Cards

Kingsley North (www.kingsleynorth.com) has a line of mineral and rock playing cards

available. Very reasonably priced at $5.95 a deck, they look to be a fun way to spice

up your Texas Hold em, Rummy, or how about Cribbage??? Look for items # 2-0126

and #2-0053. You can play all of your favorite card games while studying rocks and

minerals. Each card in this standard deck features its own photo, helping you to be-

come acquainted with the names of each rock specimen. Learning has never been so

much fun. Via MOROKS 07-2013 via El Gambrisino, Jul-Aug 2013

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 16

Public Lands Advisory Committees for Colorado & Kansas by Mike Nelson

I t appears that trouble may be brewing on Federal Lands (mainly USFS and BLM) with regard to causal collecting

of fossil specimens (invertebrates and plants, but not petrified wood). The Paleontological Resources Preserva-

tion Act (PRPA), part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, as originally written gives certain collect-

ing rights to “casual collectors”: 2) CASUAL COLLECTING EXCEPTION - The Secretary shall allow casual collecting with-

out a permit on Federal land controlled or administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation,

and the Forest Service, where such collection is consistent with the laws governing the management of those Federal land

and this subtitle SEC. 6304). This seemed perfectly reasonable to me—one does not need a permit to go out in the field

and collect common invertebrate and plant fossils: (1) CASUAL COLLECTING - The term `casual collecting' means the

collecting of a reasonable amount of common invertebrate and plant paleontological resources for non-commercial per-

sonal use, either by surface collection or the use of non-powered hand tools resulting in only negligible disturbance to the

Earth's surface and other resources (SEC. 6301). However, there was a kicker in 6301 that has come back to haunt causal

collectors: the terms `reasonable amount', `common invertebrate and plant paleontological resources' and

`negligible disturbance' shall be determined by the Secretary.

What has now happened in that “the Secretary” has proposed some really bad (my opinion) and essentially non-

enforceable rules for the Forest Service: The term reasonable amount as a maximum per calendar year of one gallon

by volume or 25 pounds by weight, and generally includes not more than five specimens of any one fossil kind. For rock

slabs containing fossils, the amount is limited to a slab that can be hand-carried by one person with minimal effort with-

out the aid of mechanical devices.”

What this means is that each person is limited to 25 pounds of fossils from National Forest and National Grasslands

per year. Once you’ve collected 25 pounds of fossils from Forest Service lands in a year, you cannot collect anymore

until the next year. I find this rule to be completely asinine and unreasonable.

I have one fragile slab of rock that required two of us to lift into a pickup bed. That would be illegal according to the

new regs. I have collected bryozoans where a “handful” is perhaps 50-60 individuals—against the law. I can collect 25

pounds or a gallon—or more—from a single outcrop in 15 minutes. So, according to the regs—against the law.

The comment period for the USFS is past but I am keeping an eye out for BLM regs. They are published in the Federal

Register, not something that I read on an everyday basis.

Boy, 12, Unearths 5.16-carat Diamond at Arkansas State Park Reported by Fox News

W hile on vacation with his family at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park Mi-

chael Dettlaff found the honey brown diamond on July 31 after searching for less

than 10 minutes. He named it God’s Glory Diamond. Park officials said, “It is thrilling any

time a child finds a diamond here at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Michael was excited to

have found his own diamond, as just about any boy would be, but he was absolutely

awestruck when he realized its significance,” Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said in a state-

ment.

Michael found the gem in an area of the park where the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas dia-

mond was found in 1956. His father was still renting mining equipment when he discovered

the diamond and it is the 27th largest diamond found by a park visitor since the site became

a state park in 1972. The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed at the site in 1924 and

weighed 40.23 carats. Treasures are still out there, folks!

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 17

COLORADO- BLM Extends Public Comment Period On Draft Dominguez-Escalante NCA Plan

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

Western Colorado OHV enthusiasts are pleased that the Bureau of Land Management has announced it will extend the public comment period on the on the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (NCA) and the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness through Sept. 23.

However, we don't want the needed extension to slow our momentum.

This Draft Plan has rubbed OHV users raw. Especially after the local OHV community didn't actively oppose the establishment of either the NCA or the Wilderness. Recreationists were assured a "fair shake" in the NCA planning process, and OHV users were even included on a citizen advisory group.

That didn't stop the BLM from formulating a "range" of alternatives that all drastically reduced recreational uses, even though recreation is one of the "management values" Congress identified in the legislation establishing the NCA.

OHV users from across the region, including COHVCO, the Western Slope ATV Association and others, are looking at this plan with a very critical eye. BRC is also worried that the plan sets a very bad precedent for future land use designations.

We've posted the BLM's announcement below. In the meantime, please keep an eye on your inbox. We should have additional information about this key issue out soon.

Thanks in advance and, as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact BRC.

Brian Hawthorne Ric Foster Public Lands Policy Director Public Lands Department Manager BlueRibbon Coalition BlueRibbon Coalition 208-237-1008 ext 102 208-237-1008 ext 107

BLM Extends Public Comment Period On Draft Dominguez-Escalante NCA Plan

The Bureau of Land Management announced today it will extend the public comment period on the on the Draft Resource Man-agement Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness through Sept. 23.

The plan will provide a framework to guide subsequent management decisions on approximately 210,000 acres administered by the BLM in Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties of western Colorado.

The Draft RMP analyzes five alternatives covering all aspects of BLM resource management within the National Conservation Area boundaries, including recreation, travel management, resource protection, wildlife habitat, special designations and live-stock grazing. The National Conservation Area and Wilderness were designated by Congress in 2009 in recognition of their unique and important resources and values. The 90-day public comment period was set to close Aug. 22. In response to requests from the Delta and Mesa county commis-sions and others, BLM will extend the comment period another 30 days.

"We want to ensure the public has enough time to provide specific comments to BLM and our Dominguez-Escalante advisory council about this plan," said Collin Ewing, manager of the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area. "These docu-ments cover all aspects of our management of this special area, so this is a really important opportunity to make your voice heard about how the BLM will manage these lands."

The BLM will use the public comments to help develop a Proposed RMP/Final EIS, which is scheduled for release in 2013.

For additional information, including how to provide comments or obtain a copy of the Draft RMP, visit http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/denca/denca_rmp.html.

Before including address, phone number, email-address, or any other personal identifying information in your comments, be ad-vised that your entire comment, including personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While individuals may request that the BLM withhold personal identifying information from public view, the BLM cannot guarantee it will be able to do so. If you wish us to withhold your personal information you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, available for public disclosure in their entirety.

Tell the BLM at the front of your letter if you do not want your personal information make public.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 18

Opportunities for Geological Study Colorado Springs Gazette, March 16, 1878, p. 2

D r. Hayden [Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden], in his report for 1869, two years before our beautiful city was founded said: "I do not know of any portion of the West where there is so much variety displayed in the geolo-

gy as within a space of ten miles square around Colorado City. Nearly all the elements of geological study revealed in the Rocky Mountains are shown on a unique scale in this locality."

The Boston Congregationalist a few weeks ago said that Prof. Kerr [Colorado College] would be able to show his class in geology from the windows of the new college building formations in every important period; also that he can give his classes greater advantages in the practical study of geology than any other teacher of geology in the coun-try.

The above statements are not too strong, but are fully borne out by the facts.

So many of the residents of Colorado Springs are either here for their health or recreation, and consequently have much leisure time, that we desired to call their attention to this most profitable and healthful recreation. To most of us these rocks which might tell such wonderful stories are dumb. They tell us nothing of the mighty influence which air, heat, and moisture have exerted in their formation, nothing of the oceans which once rolled over these plains and beat against yonder cliffs, nothing of the animal and vegetable life which existed here centuries upon centuries ago. These massive rocks seem to have locked up their secrets in their silent depths from all those who are un-learned in their language.

Through the knowledge of a Tyndall or a Dana would not enable one to answer all the questions which nature is eve-rywhere suggesting, yet it is possible for one with a little study and careful observation to understand at least the more prominent geological formations of this wonderful country.

To those who would like to take up this profitable study, and have no previous knowledge and experience, we would make the following suggestions:

Obtain some good manual of geology, Dana's manual can be obtained at the bookstores [still], the Ap-pleton's have just published Elements of Geology, by Prof. LeConte [available at antique book stores], which is highly recommended by Prof. Kerr; acquaint yourself with the periods of historical geology and their characteristic distinctions; also obtain some idea of the formation of rocks, valleys, and mountains. Then with a hammer, and possibly a prospector's pick, (if you would examine the fossil beds), go off on to the hills and put your knowledge to practical use.

You may ask, where shall I go? We might answer anywhere. If you have a set of Hayden's geological reports, you can obtain many valuable suggestions from them in regard to interesting points of investigation. In Hayden's report for 1874 there is a map which shows the geological structure of Colorado Springs and vicinity. As it may be inaccessible to many, we will briefly indicate the places where Dr. Hayden thinks the different formations may be best studied.

We shall take up the grand divisions of historical geology, commencing with the earliest, so as to show that an un-broken succession of the formation of the rocks of the earth may be here studied.

Formations in Azoic time [Precambrian] or the period when there was no life, may be seen in the granite in Williams' Cañon [Cave of the Winds]. The same formation is also to be seen in all parts of the mountains. In Paleozoic time, or the period of ancient forms of life, sections of the Silurian beds may be seen in Williams' Cañon, resting upon the granite. The Silurian formation may also be found in Glen Eyrie and Cheyenne Cañon. The Carboniferous period may be studied in a short belt running almost due north from Manitou. Glen Eyrie is in the northeast corner of this belt. Fossil plants in this period may be found at Gehrung's coal beds.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Beth Simmons found this article in the local newspaper and thought our members might enjoy it. Colora-

do City that is referred to in the article is now Old Colorado City, a national historic district on the west side of Colorado Springs.

It was the El Paso county seat until 1873 and also named the territorial state capital in 1861. The log cabin where the second

territorial congress met still remains on the town square. Dr. Simmons suggests the article was most likely written by Arthur

Lakes, a famous British geologist who is credited for identifying most of Colorado’s geology.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 19

The Mesozoic time, or the period of mediaeval forms of life, offer abundant opportunities for study. The Triassic for-mation is found in a narrow belt including the Garden of the Gods, and runs almost due north. The Jurassic is a still nar-rower belt a short distance east of the Triassic belt and running parallel to it. The Cretaceous formation includes the sites of Colorado City and Colorado Springs, and extends both north and south some distance. The fossils of this peri-od are very abundant and easy to obtain.

The Cenozoic time, or period of recent forms of life, can be investigated about Austin's Bluffs and the country north of them.

We feel assured that if any of our residents who are compelled to stay here on account of their health and feel and ennui of this country will take up the practical study of geology, they will be able to appreciate, if not adopt, the sentiment of the banished duke in "As you like it,"

“And this our life exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books, and in running brooks;

Sermons in stones, and good in everything, I would not change it.”

Front Cover

Pikes Peak Pebble Pups & Earth Science Scholars Publish First Poetry Chapbook

T he Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society and the Lake George Gem and Mineral Club both host a junior program. The

first volume of their collected poems and art work about Earth science has been published and may be purchased for $4.00.

Shipping and handling is $1.00. These chapbooks are limited in number, and you should act soon to secure one. Each book sold

will provide the clubs with $4. These will be for sale at the Denver Gem and Mineral Show in September. A second volume is be-

ing planned now and will be available later this year. To order, please send $5 to:

Steven Veatch

1823 South Mountain Estates Road

Florissant, CO 80816

Make your check payable to: Veatch GeoScience, LLC. Be sure to act quickly as these books will soon be gone. This also helps

the two clubs support the work of the Pebble Pups and Earth Science Scholars. Each month Veatch GeoScience, LLC. will issue a

check to each of the sponsoring clubs for sales of the chapbooks.

Back Cover

Front Cover

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 20

To have your RMFMS member club sponsored events listed here, email bet-tycain3@comcast.net. You may include other info about your show if you wish but will only be printed as space permits. All RMFMS clubs are also encouraged to register their event listings on the RMFMS

web site at: www.rmfms.org. Email your submissions to the Webmaster at webmas-

ter@rmfms.org.

September 1-3, 2013 Silver City, NM

Grant County Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society Annual Show,

Grant Co. Conference Center, 3031 Hwy 180 East, Silver City;

contact Lee Stockman, 575-388-4054, leet@stockmanfamily.net

September 7-8, 2013 Siloam Springs, AR

NW Arkansas Gem & Mineral Society Fall Rock Swap, at the

clubhouse, Rwy 43 & Lawlis Rd, just north of Siloam Springs;

Sat 9-5, Sun 904. Free admission & parking; contact DeLane

Cox at delanec3@earthlink.net.

September 13-15, 2013 Denver, CO

Combines Denver Gem & Mineral Show of CO Min Soc, Flatirons

Min Club, Littleton Gem & Min Club, Mile High Rock & Min Soc,

& North Jeffco Gem & Min Club; Denver Mart Expo Hall, 451 E.

58th Ave (I-25 at Ext 215); http://www.denvermineralshow.com

September 14-15, 2013 Enid, OK

Enid Gem & Mineral Society Annual Show, Garfield Co. Fair-

grounds, Enid, OK; contact John Worden, 580-233-6996,

jlworden55@aol.com

September 18-22, 2013 Jacksonville, FL

AFMS Show & Convention, Morocco Temple,

3800 St Johns Bluff Rd South, Jacksonville, FL;

additional information is available from the

AFMS web site, www.amfed.org.

September 27-29 2013 Salt Lake City, UT

Mineral Collectors of Utah Annual Show, Trolley Square, 5th S.

and 6th E., Salt Lake City; contact Curt Forrester, 801-789-6325,

fossilmin@dcdi.net

September 27-29, Toole, UT

Tooele Gem & Mineral Annual Show, Dow James Bldg., 400 N. 400

W., Tooele, UT; contact Eldon Shinkle, 435-840-8821

September 28-29, 2013 Bismarck, ND

Central Dakota Gem & Mineral Society Annual Show; contact Le-

nora Kuntz, 701-663-4928

October 3-6, 2013 Idabel, OK

McCurtain Gem & Mineral Show, Museum of the Red River; con-

tact Cephis Hall, 580-474-6612

October 5-6, 2013 Roswell, NM

Chaparral Rockhounds Annual Show, Roswell Convention Center;

contact Jeri House, 575-622-3688, jeriron90@juno.com

October 12-13, 2013 Sierra Vista, AZ

Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club Annual Show, Cochise College;

contact Maudie Bailey, 520-378-6291, gmbailey@msn.com

October 12-13, 2013 Moab, UT

Moab Rock Club Annual Show, Old Spanish Trail Arena, 3641

S. Hwy 191, Moab.

October 12-13, 2013 Topeka, KS

Topeka Gem & Mineral Society Annual Show, Kansas Expocentre,

17th & Topeka Blvd, Topeka.

October 12-13, 2013 Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque Gem & Mineral Club Annual Fall Show @ NM Expo

Center on San Pedro Drive; contact Jay Penn, 505-883-4195, jay-

penn246@gmail.com

October 25-27, 2013 Sandy, UT

Rockhounder’s Outreach for Community Knowledge Show, Larry

Miller campus, SLCC, 9750 S. 300 West; contact: Kaye Lee Brady,

801-259-7446, kayeleeday@yahoo.com

November 2-3, 2013 Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma Mineral & Gem Club Show, OK City Fairgrounds

November 10-12, 2013 Lake Havasu City, AZ

Lake Havasu City Gem & Mineral Society Show; contact: Kathy

McCauliff, 928-566-7767, erieejm@msn.com

November 16-17, 2013 Payson, AZ

Payson Rimstones Rock Club Show at the Mazatzal Casino in Pay-

son, AZ; contact: Margaret Jones, 928-476-3513, margieaberry

@gmail.com

Officers & Committee Reports President—See front page

Vice President—None Secretary—None Treasurer—See page 2 Historian—Mother, Louellen Montgomery, is in the hospital.

Past Presidents—None Circulation—None Convention Advisory—None Editor—See page 2 Finance—None Lapidary Tech—None Mineralogical Tech—None Fluorescent Tech—None Fossil Tech—None Nominations—None Program Library—None Program Contest—None Publications—See page 11 Safety—Vacant Webmaster—Vacant Boundaries—None Credentials—None Directory—None ACROY—See page 10 All American Club—Vacant

Insurance—None International Relations—None Junior Program—None Long Rang Planning—None Name Badges—None Parliamentarian—None Permanent Address—None Program Competition—None Ribbons—None Scholarship—None Supplies—None Trophies—None AZ/NV PLA—None CO PLA—See page 15 KS PLA—See page 15 NE PLA—None NM/TX PLA—Vacant ND PLA—None OK/AR PLA—See page 9 SD PLA—See page 14 UT PLA—None WY PLA—None Uniform Rules—None AOI/Bylaws & OPs Revision Committee—We have started to sort

through the documents for revisions and changes.

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 21

President DeLane Cox 8152 Spanker Ridge Dr. Bentonville, AR 72712 479.254.0894 delanec3@earthlink.com

Vice President Debbie Leschner HC60 Box 512 Quemado, NM 87829 575.773.4119 timbuktuent@hotmail.com

Secretary Peggy Maggard 8418 SE Hwy 77 Leon, KS 67064 316.742.3746 gandpmaggard@wildblue.net

Treasurer Gene Maggard 8418 SE Hwy 77 Leon, KS 67064 316.742.3746 gandpmaggard@wildblue.net

Historian Cinda Kunkler 210 NE35th St Topeka, KS 66617 785.286.1790 cindakunkler@att.net

Bill Smith PO. Box 311 Hardtner, KS 67057 620.296.4652 beetlebill@kanokla.net

Stan Nowak 2805 Sage Dr Enid, OK 73701 580.234.3126 Snowak48@yahoo.com

Arizona/Nevada Russ Stewart 1300 N. Matterhorn Rd Payson, AZ 928-474-9712 azrussstew@npgcable.com

Colorado Beth Simmons 1420 S. Reed Lakewood, CO 80232 303.986.9693 cloverknoll@comcast.net

Kansas

Lyle Koerper 1644 Valleyview Court Wichita, KS 67212 316.722.7115 koerperk@aol.com

New Mexico/Texas Robert L. Carlson 1585 Los Pueblos Los Alamos, NM 87544 505.662.5534 illegitimusnoncarbor udum@inbox.com

North Dakota Ray Oliger 516 N 20th St Bismarck, ND 58501 701.223.4986 reorocks@gmail.com

Oklahoma/Arkansas Virgil Richards 26815 51st St Broken Arrow, OK 74014 918.640.9592 dws@dances-with-snakes.com

S Dakota/Nebraska Sony Hemscher PO Box 376 Piedmont, SD 57769 605.431.2755 sony2755@hotmail.com

Utah Tom Burchard 875 E. 4500 S. S. Ogden, UT 84403 801.479.4286 Roxhund@aol.com

Wyoming Jim McGarvey PO Box 116 Kinnear, WY 82516 307.856.6188 degarbey@wyoming.com

Circulation Bill Cain Address on page 2

Convention Advisory DeLane Cox

See President

Publicity (Editor) Betty Cain Address on page 2

Finance Robert Haines, Chair 104 S. Brookside St. Wichita, KS 67218

316.683.9021

Wayne Cox 8152 Spanker Ridge Dr. Bentonville, AR 72712 479.254.0894 waynec3@earthlink.com

Lapidary Tech Mike Snively 8495 W. Starr Circle Littleton, CO 80128 720.981.0752 photomaker@earthlink.net

Mineralogical Tech Jim Hurlbut 2240 S Adams Denver, CO 80210 303.757.0283 jfhu@earthlink.net

Fluorescent Technical Pete Modreski 3555 Mill St Wheat Ridge, CO 0033 303.425.9549 pmodreski@aol.com

Fossil Technical Roger Burkhalter 16560 E. Maguire Rd Noble, OK 73068 405.899.4260 rjb@ou.edu

Insurance

Nominations Judy Beck, Chair

3021 E Country Club Rd Saline, KS 67401 785.823.7069 lkbeck@mowery-clinic.com

Stan Nowak See Past Presidents

Program Library Jennifer Biddle 1620 Kingsway St Sapulpa, OK 74016 918.361.1957 downcametherain@gmail.com

Publications Beth Simmons 1420 S. Reed Lakewood, CO 80232 303.986.9693 cloverknoll@comcast.net

Safety Vacant

Webmaster Jennifer Biddle See Program Library webmaster@rmfms.org

Webmaster Contest Vacant

Boundaries

Robert L Carson See NM/TX State Director

Credentials Shane Walter

3940 South 4000 West West Valley City, UT 84120 shaneholly11@hotmail.com

Directory Kay Waterman

1334 N. McFarland Place Claremore, OK 74017 918.521.4386 kay.waterman@cox.net

AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year Award (ACROY) Bill Cain Address on page 2

All American Club Vacant Gene Maggard 8418 SE Hwy 77 Leon, KS 67064 316.742.3746 gandpmaggard@wildblue.net

International Relations Mike Nelson 645 Popes Valley Dr Colo. Springs, CO 80919 719.522.1608 csrockguy@yahoo.com

Junior Program Diane C Weir 2300 S Union Ave Roswell, NM 88203 575.622.5679 dcweir@cableone.net

Long-Range Planning Judy Beck, Chair See Nominations

Robert L. Carlson See NM/TX Director

Name Badges Richard Jaeger See Nominations

Parliamentarian Gene Maggard See Treasurer

Permanent Address Robert Carlson See NM/TX State Director

Program Competition Jennifer Biddle See Program Library

Ribbons Kaye Thompson 1830 Mesita Ct. Colo. Springs, CO 80906 719.636.2978

Scholarship Sandy Cannedy 15071 County Rd 1170 Binger, Okla. 73009-5006 405.656.9019 jscannedy@att.net

Supplies Kim Blanton 728 E. Sand Dunes Dr. Sandy, UT 84094 801-604-1263 kimblanton2@aol.com

Trophies Robert L. Carlson See NM/TX State Director

Arizona/Nevada Bill Jaeger 3441 E Astro St Hereford, AZ 85615 520.803.6590 billjaeger@hotmail.com

Harry Kilb 3411 Tomahawk Dr Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406 928.855.1630 hmkilb@rraz.net

Colorado Tim Austin 2918 Plymouth Rd Grand Junction, CO 81503 970.263.7404 Austintimbarb@aol.com

Mike Nelson See Int’l Relations

Kansas Mike Nelson See Int’l Relations

Nebraska Leroy Meininger 50029 Sunflower Road Mitchell, NE 69357 308.623.2661 prairiefossil@yahoo.com

New Mexico/Texas Vacant

N Dakota Rodney Hickle 1631 28th Ave SW Central, ND 58530 701.794.3342

Oklahoma/Arkansas Bill Lyon 112 N. Hillcrest St Ada, OK 74820 580.332.8666 jblyon@cableone.net

Doris Perkins 405 SE Ave G I Idabel, OK 74745 580.286.3133 rperkins8236@sbcglobal.net

S Dakota Jan Baumeister 19702 E Hwy 18 Sp 56 Welton, AZ 85356 928.785-3238 rockhoundgal@aol.com

Utah Jim Alexander 360 5th St Ogden, UT 84404 801.399.0785 jwalex1@aol.com

Wyoming Jim McGarvey See WY State Director

Lee Whitebay, Chair 4669 N Prentice Rd Ponca City, OK 74604 580.765.2074 lwhitebay@sbcglobal.net

B. Jay Bowman 191 Bowman Rd Ponca City, OK 74601 580.761.5966 bjb@wildblue.net

Roger Burkhalter See Fossil Technical

Robert Carlson See NM/TX State Director

Jack Thompson 1830 Mesita Ct. Colo. Springs, CO 80906 719.636.2978

Updated 7/26/13 STANDING COMMITTEES

PAST PRESIDENTS

RMFMS Officers, Executive Committee, and Committee Chairpersons 2012/2013

OFFICERS

STATE DIRECTORS

SPECIAL COMMITTEES PUBLIC LAND ADVISORY

UNIFORM RULES COMMITTEE

Committee Chairs

are appointed by the

President.

Ofcrs & State Directors

are elected by the House

of Delegates

Executive Committee

consists of Officers,

State Directors, and two

immediate Past

Presidents

Rocky Mountain Federation News—September 2013 Page 22

RMFMS Distribution

2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave.

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Educational Nonprofit Time Value

Do Not Delay

September 2013