BC Fossil Resources: Fossil Collecting and the Law

Learn about Fossil Collecting and the law. You can find a link to BC Fossil Resources on the Fossil Huntress Blog at fossilhuntress.blogspot.com What are the laws around collecting and ownership? Fossil collectors are considered custodians of the fossils they find and collect.  Fossils found on Crown land are the property of the Crown; they cannot be sold or exported outside of British Columbia without prior authorization.  In some cases, fossils located on privately owned land also remain the property of the Province because of the reservations and exceptions attached to the original Crown grant.  Members of the public who discover fossils are asked to report the discovery to the Royal BC Museum, BC Fossil Management Office, local museum, the local paleontological society or the nearest university or college. If you find vertebrate material, you definitely want to give someone a jingle as it is a significant find — and may be a new species.